A police officer has spent 40 minutes afloat in dangerous seas after jumping in to save two rock fishers on the NSW Central Coast.
A woman was rock fishing with a friend at Lake Munmorah, south of Newcastle, when she was washed into the ocean on Saturday night.
Her friend grabbed a nearby angel ring, one of several dotted along the rocky and dangerous coastline, and tried to save her.
It is understood they were not wearing life jackets.
A local police anti-theft and drug unit was in the area when the call for help came through.
When they arrived, one officer in the team dived into the water and swam out to the struggling couple.
The officer was in the water for 40 minutes while he helped the man and woman stay afloat.
The rescue helicopter winched the woman out first but the officer stayed with the man in the ocean until water police arrived and took them both to shore.
The woman was taken to John Hunter Hospital where she's reportedly in a critical condition.
"It's a very good act. The situation could have been a lot worse," Tuggerah Lakes Inspector Dan Skelly said.
Insp Skelly said the officer was familiar with the dangerous fishing spot and opted to wait in the water rather than risk clambering over the rocks.
"It's a dangerous area that has claimed a lot of lives," he said.
The officer, who has more than 20 years experience in the force, will be recognised for his bravery, Inspector Skelly added.
Two fishermen drowned last April at nearby Wybung Head after they tried to save a friend who was washed into the ocean.
The woman survived but the men both died.
One of the bodies has never been recovered.
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