Saving a young man from drowning off the Wellington Coast has seen a Bay of Plenty officer awarded the Royal Humane Society bronze medal.

Constable Tom McBride recently transferred to Murupara from Wellington.

Constable Tom McBride with his medal. Photo: Supplied.

In October last year, the public alerted police to five young men heading out in small inflatable boats without life jackets.

'They were using their hands, one set of oars and a hubcap to paddle through the cold choppy water towards Taputeranga Island,” says Bay of Plenty Police on their Facebook page.

'Two of the inflatables capsized, and while four of the men made it to the island, one began to struggle in the water.” Tom was one of the first police officers to arrive at the beach.

He didn't hesitate to shed his uniform and use his surf lifesaving and Police National Dive Squad skills to swim more than 300m through the swell to rescue the young man.

'We're very proud to have him join us in the Bay of Plenty,” says the post.

Tom gas a long history with both Mount Maunganui and Papamoa clubs in surf lifesaving.

He's a Mount 'local' and was a pretty strong board racer and surf swimmer before joining the police.

He has this message for people who hit the water this summer: 'Water safety is so important and some simple common sense checks can prevent needless tragedies.

'Keep the small inflatable toy boats for the pool. They're not designed for the sea.

'Always wear a life jacket when you're boating, jet skiing or using other craft on the water, make sure your equipment is safe and working and check the water and weather conditions before you set out.”