The policeman then carried the man on his back across seven lanes of traffic as cars paused to let the pair pass.

The footage, reportedly captured by CCTV in Mianyang, was shared by the Mianyang Traffic Police Brigade's official Weibo account, which described it as a "heart-warming scene".

In further footage filmed from a passing car, it appeared the pair waited in the middle of the road before trying to cross lanes of traffic moving in the opposite direction.

Viewers on Weibo expressed amazement that the cars waited for the men to pass without beeping their horns, and praised the policeman for his help.