{"id":417547,"date":"2026-07-30T04:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T04:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/417547\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T04:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T04:05:08","slug":"hero-16-year-old-lifeguard-breaks-silence-on-dramatic-ocean-rescue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/417547\/","title":{"rendered":"Hero 16-year-old lifeguard breaks silence on dramatic ocean rescue"},"content":{"rendered":"

A 16-year-old rookie lifeguard hailed by President Trump<\/a> after a dramatic California beach rescue says he made one decision as towering waves crashed around him: \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to let go of that kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was going to drown, and I wasn\u2019t going to let that happen,\u201d Ryder Williams later told his father, retired firefighter Shane Williams, after rescuing 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai from violent surf at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n

In his first statement since the rescue, Williams recounted the heart-stopping moments<\/a> and described the actions he took as he rushed into the water.<\/p>\n

A 16-year-old rookie lifeguard hailed by President Trump after a dramatic California beach rescue says he made one decision as towering waves crashed around him: \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to let go of that kid.\u201d Courtesy of Shane Williams<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was going to drown, and I wasn\u2019t going to let that happen,\u201d Ryder Williams later told his father, retired firefighter Shane Williams, after rescuing 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai from violent surf at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz on Saturday. Instagram\/@Santacruznow<\/p>\n

Williams, in his first year as a California State Parks lifeguard, raced into the ocean after spotting Nathaniel lose his footing in ankle-deep water before the child was swept into deep water by powerful waves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI radioed it in, threw my radio and sunglasses at the base of my tower as I ran toward the kid. I put my fins on my wrist, popped my buoy and entered the water to get ahold of the child,\u201d Williams said in his statement.<\/p>\n

The rescue earned the teen national praise, with Trump announcing that he plans to invite Williams to the White House to receive a high civilian honor.<\/p>\n

Officials said Williams was assigned to Tower 2 and had spent the day making safety contacts because of heavy crowds and dangerous surf.<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the volatility of the water, I was unable to tube up the victim,\u201d Williams said, adding that the child had gone limp as waves repeatedly crashed over them.<\/p>\n

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Fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen reached the pair after several more waves battered them, while Williams yelled for bystanders who tried to help to return to shore.<\/p>\n

After bringing Nathaniel safely onto the beach, Williams retrieved medical equipment before the boy was assessed.<\/p>\n

Officials said Williams was assigned to Tower 2 and had spent the day making safety contacts because of heavy crowds and dangerous surf. Instagram\/@Santacruznow<\/p>\n

He then climbed back into his tower and finished the rest of his shift.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThis is my job and I love what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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