But last night Mr Raynes took one for team.
He is the Wanaka Alpine Cliff Rescue team co-ordinator, so it was his job to receive the team's ''Certificates of Achievement - Operational Activity'' from Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, presented on behalf of the New Zealand Search and Rescue (NZSAR) Council.
The Wanaka team's award was for the team's rescue of 57-year-old New Plymouth general practitioner Dr Stephen Finnigan from the ice and snow of Mt Aspiring's ''Quarterdeck''.
In September, Dr Finnigan fell while abseiling a 10m ice cliff as he and his wife, Liz, and son Andrew (33) were making their way off the mountain, the two men having reached the peak earlier that day.
Dr Finnigan told the Otago Daily Times yesterday he had been ''on the go'' for 18 hours straight and lost control of the rope.
''I recall thinking `Jeez, this is going fast' and that was it.
''I knocked myself out, recovered consciousness in the bottom of the crevasse, and realised I was a bit beaten up inside...''
Dr Finnigan said it was ''all very dark, and freezing cold and snowing''.
The family set off their emergency beacon about 10pm and by about 1am a search and rescue team was overhead in a helicopter.
However, it was too stormy to land.
''So, we had to do it the old-fashioned way,'' Mr Raynes told the ODT.
He and team member Lionel Clay were dropped off just above the bush line 1100m below the family at 1.30am, and set off to walk to the injured man.
As they climbed the glacier, the rain turned to snow and the pair's wet gear froze.
The wind chill dropped to below -5degC.
Dr Finnigan knew help was on the way, but he and his family could do nothing but wait.
Dr Finnigan got ''the luxury mattress'' and his wife and son did what they could to keep him comfortable, with Andrew able to heat up water for drinks.
''And then about four hours later, two wonderful guys just strolled in the end of the crevasse and asked for a cup of tea.''
Dr Finnigan said there was nothing they could do about his medical condition but they had ''a great big sleeping bag'' and another mattress.
An improvement in the weather allowed the helicopter to land nearby about 8am and Dr Finnigan was quickly on his way to the Wanaka Lakes Health Centre.
Dr Finnigan described his rescuers as ''sensible and reassuring''.
''They just got on with the job and got us out of there as fast as was safe.''
Mr Raynes said Search and Rescue had received a donation from Dr Finnigan.
''He was thankful, obviously...''
Mr Raynes is a mountain guide and cabinet-maker who has climbed Mt Aspiring about seven or eight times and has been involved with Wanaka Search and Rescue for eight years.
''It's highly satisfying getting people out of sticky situations, and having the ability to do that is a fantastic thing to be able to offer back.''
• The crew of HMNZS Otago received a certificate of achievement for the rescue of the crew of the yacht Django in July last year.
The yacht's crew sent out a mayday while about 200 nautical miles north of Cape Reinga after the boat's rudder broke below the water line and it lost steering.
Otago was about 100 nautical miles west of the yacht, travelled to it and, with the aid of a trained navy diver, helped people on to a rescue strop in rolling seas.
