Mr Joyce didn't hesitate when he jumped into the rough water in Hvar, Croatia to save four people whose boat had capsized on September 21, 2017.

He swam three of the four to safety despite his own fatigue.

British couple Craig and Jackie O'Neill and their two friends were so grateful to their Australian rescuer that they issued a social media appeal to try and find him to say thank you.

Two years on from the daring rescue, Mr Joyce, who is still travelling and surfing his way through Europe, has been recognised for his courage, selflessness and sacrifice.

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He was among 74 Australians to be given an Australian Bravery Award by the Governor-General on Monday.

"I was shocked, honoured and humbled to be awarded a bravery medal," Mr Joyce said.

It is the second time the Joyce family has been acknowledged for an act of bravery.

Mr Joyce is the son of the late Ray Joyce, a much-loved local identity who swam into the ocean off Coledale to retrieve a 13-year-old boy who had a shark still attached to his leg.

The volunteer lifeguard received a Queens Commendation for Bravery for his role in the 1966 emergency.

"I am proud to receive a bravery award especially because my father received one. It is touching," Mr Joyce said.

The avid surfer is looking forward to reuniting with the O'Neills in September when he visits them in England exactly two years since he saved their lives.

"I am looking forward to seeing them again to see how they are going and to meet their family," Mr Joyce said. "It will be nice to see who they are."

Mr Joyce was aboard a taxi boat transporting a group of people, including his partner Katherine Lumello, between a cruise ship and the port when he saw the four people in distress about 100 metres away.

"I thought, 'if I don't go in then they will drown' because it looked like they couldn't swim," he said.

"I am a confident swimmer. I could not have sat there watching them drown knowing I could help."

He was a strong swimmer as he grew up at Coledale beach, was in Nippers and loved surfing.

One of the four occupants of the capsized boat was able to swim on his own to the taxi boat, whilst the remaining three clung to the bow of the overturned small boat.

The three people remaining were not wearing life jackets, were not strong swimmers, and the boat was sinking.

Mr Joyce told them that he would take each person individually back to the taxi boat.

As he swam Mrs O'Neill towards the taxi boat, Mr Joyce noticed Mr O'Neill was no longer floating and was completely under the waterline as the boat had sunk.

"I told Jackie we had to swim back to get the Craig," Mr Joyce said.

"She didn't want to go back because she just wanted to get to safety. I had to convince her to stay calm, that we needed to go back and she had to trust me.

"We started calling out to Craig to encourage him to stay above water. We swam over to him and I started dragging both of them back to the boat. They were floating on their back and I had one under each arm.

"It was quite a challenge."

Mrs O'Neill was pulled aboard the taxi boat by other passengers. Craig couldn't be pulled up but other passengers kept his head above water.

"I then went back to get the other woman who was thrown a life ring from another boat," Mr Joyce said.

He started swimming her to the taxi boat when a Hvar Port Authority boat arrived and the woman was pulled aboard and taken to land.

Mr Joyce then swam back to the taxi boat and discovered that the Mr O'Neill was still in the water.

Another passenger, Marc Johnson, on the taxi boat jumped into the water.

"Together we pushed Craig up as others pulled him onto the deck," Mr Joyce said. "Then they were rushed off in an ambulance."

Completely fatigued, Mr Joyce knew he had saved two people's lives.

"I'm glad it turned out he way it did, " he said. "It could have been such a sad day for them and their family. I guess it was lucky I was on the boat."