A man who saved a family from drowning last month is being recognised as a hero

Father of four Aaron Stott was walking along the Kai Iwi Lakes in Northland when he saw several people in trouble in the water.

He managed to rescue a mother and a child, and then dove down to save the father and another child who were at the bottom of the lake.

Another person also helped the father when they reached the surface, but the boy was blue and unresponsive.

Aaron says he whacked him on the back a couple of times before putting him on his side and he then started breathing again.

Senior Sergeant Dave Wilkinson says there's no doubt his actions saved lives and warns people to never overestimate their abilities.