What Toby Officer remembers most about the day he rescued a fisherman from a Wellington coastline is the cold - and getting grief for being in his undies afterwards.



The police constable and Miramar surfer Campbell Read were involved in the rescue of a Porirua man who had been washed off the Lyall Bay breakwater by a wave while fishing in July last year.



The men were recognised by Royal Humane Society of New Zealand awards in a ceremony at Mayor Celia Wade-Brown's office this morning.



Mr Officer was on duty in Kilbirnie when the call came over the radio on July 20 that a fisherman ''needed to be fished out'' of the sea near Moa Point.



With a police boat launch and Westpac rescue helicopter both up to 15 minutes away, and the fisherman already 25 metres off the rocks, Mr Officer decided there was only one course of action left.



''There was no way of getting him out safely without jumping in,'' said Mr Officer.



Mr Officer said what he remembers the most was the cold, and then getting grief from fellow officers about standing there in his underwear after the rescue.



It was his quick-thinking partner, Constable Richard Briscoe, who co-opted Mr Read into the rescue effort.



Mr Read, 46, was gearing up for his first surf in six months, and with his wetsuit already on and his nine-foot longboard strapped to his ankle, it was perfect timing.



He paddled out to meet Mr Officer and the fisherman, who were still 10 metres off the rocks and struggling to fight an outgoing tide, and used his board - ''the perfect life raft'' - to get the exhausted pair back on to the rocks.



''I wasn't terribly brave compared to Toby,'' said Mr Read.



''After that there was still some good waves and I went to have a surf ... I was totally exhausted though, so went home for a cup of tea and a lie down.''



The fisherman was treated for hypothermia at Wellington Hospital.



Police sergeant Brett Cuzens, who nominated Mr Officer for the award, said he went above and beyond the call of duty for the rescue.



''His prompt actions saved the guy's life, simple as that. The guy wasn't going to last much longer - he was fully clothed and it was the middle of winter.''