Had off-duty lifeguard Bailey Hudson and his friends not been at the right place at the right time, a man swimming in the Kai Iwi Lakes could have drowned in the presence of his wife and children.

The 40-year-old, from Auckland, was swimming in the popular lakes with friends on Saturday afternoon when they got into trouble and the alarm was raised.

Hudson, a Waipū Cove surf lifeguard, was out jetskiing for the day at the lakes with friends, including Bob Powell, Alyssa Rowley, Lydia Baker and Kaleb Lusty, when they sprung into action at 1.05pm.

Waipū Cove surf lifeguard Bailey Hudson. Photo / Supplied

They were on the shore when Baker noticed a group of people in distress in the water, one with an arm in the air, about 200 metres away.

"Me and Bob stripped into our boardies while sprinting towards them, we went past a group that was swimming with the guy in trouble, and when we got there, the guy was fully under the water," Hudson recalled.

He said moving the man proved difficult, as he would have been about 110 kilograms and over 6 feet tall.

The duo managed to pull him a couple of metres over to where his friends had linked arms to make a chain, and they all pulled the unconscious man about 10 metres to shore.

"He was completely gone - he was blue in the face, no pulse, and when I opened his eyelids, it was just white.

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"I remembered all the skills I learnt as a lifeguard. I gave him a big smack on his shoulder to try and get a response but got nothing. I then told Alyssa to call an ambulance, and she was on the line the whole time."

A Northland Rescue Helicopter leaving the Kai Iwi Lakes where an Aucklander nearly drowned last weekend. Photo / Supplied

Hudson tried to open the man's airways, but couldn't open his mouth as his jaw was clamped shut. He started compression, and a friend of the unconscious man gave mouth-to-mouth to resuscitate him.

After five rounds of CPR, the man started sputtering water, his eyes opened up a little bit and Hudson got a pulse.

"He was real wheezy and I got his family and friends to get some blankets to keep him warm. I told him to 'squeeze my hand and don't let go', and finally we got him to a level where he started talking.

"His eyes were closing a bit, but I kept talking to him, asking him about his kids. He was super lucky. Another 15 seconds and the outcome could have been different.

"I was s***-scared he may not survive, but we're glad we got a good outcome. It was a team effort."

Hudson was unsure whether the man was flown or transported to the nearest hospital. He was on a day trip to the lakes with family and friends. His children are aged 12, 7 and 5.

Waipū Cove Surf Life Saving Club captain Kath Manning said the club was super proud of Hudson's efforts and that he remembered all his training in order to save a life.

"If he wasn't there, it would have been a very different outcome. He was able to send him to his family."

Manning said the incident was a timely reminder that people need to know their limits while in the water.

Since lifeguards are not patrolling Northland beaches at present, people should call 111 if they see swimmers in trouble, and the emergency call will then be referred to lifeguards.