Teen California lifeguard "grateful" after rescuing child caught in powerful surf
A 16-year-old California lifeguard who rescued a 10-year-old from powerful waves during a daring rescue caught on video has spoken out about the harrowing experience.
The California State Parks released a statement from Ryder Williams, the rookie lifeguard who rescued the child at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz County on Saturday.
At the time of the incident, the coast was under a significant swell event and high surf advisory. The swell was providing consistent waves of 4 to 6 feet, with waves occasionally reaching an estimated 10 feet.
"I was at the waterline 15 yards downcoast of Tower 2 making a safety contact when I looked up and saw a child about 20 (yards) up from the tower lose his footing in ankle deep water," Williams said.
The teen radioed the incident and headed into the water.
"I put my fins on my wrist, popped my buoy and entered the water to get ahold of the child. Due to the volatility of the water, I was unable to tube up the victim," he said. "After the first wave I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard."
Two to three more waves struck the pair before another lifeguard, identified as Aaron Bohnen, entered the water. After several bystanders jumped into the water to try and help, Williams yelled at them to get back to shore.
The lifeguards were able to bring the child to safety. After assessing the 10-year-old, Williams said he returned to his lifeguard tower and worked the remainder of his shift.
"I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely. This is my job and I love what I do. I'm thankful to my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues just like this every day," he went on to say.
Video of the rescue went viral and has caught the attention of President Trump, who publicly invited the lifeguard and the boy to the White House.
Sumit Rai, the boy's father, spoke to The Associated Press and said he was beyond grateful to the lifeguard who saved his son Nathaniel. The boy had been visiting the California coast from the Dallas area.
"He ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly. You have 10-foot waves; you have riptides and currents coming in," Rai told the news organization. "It is not safe for him to go into that water. So he's risking his own safety."
According to the agency, lifeguards in the Santa Cruz District performed 34 rescues that weekend.
California State Parks employs about 600 seasonal lifeguards every summer and there are about 70 permanent lifeguards in the department. On average, the lifeguards perform about 10,000 rescues every year.
"Our State Park lifeguards courageously risk their own lives every day to keep our visitors safe. Their dedication never goes unnoticed and they are truly heroes to their local communities, Californians and the nation," the agency said.
