{"id":792932,"date":"2026-07-30T07:49:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T07:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/792932\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T07:49:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T07:49:09","slug":"teen-lifeguards-viral-rescue-in-santa-cruz-captures-awe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/792932\/","title":{"rendered":"Teen lifeguard’s viral rescue in Santa Cruz captures awe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The dramatic footage of a teenage lifeguard saving a child from punishing waves along the California coast has captured the attention of the nation, drawing praise from the shores of Santa Cruz<\/a> all the way to the White House<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Video of the rescue at Seabright State Beach on Saturday, captured and shared<\/a> by local photographer Scott Vander Dussen, has gone viral on virtually every social media platform. The footage shows the rookie lifeguard, just 16 years old, holding onto a limp child as massive swells repeatedly pound the duo. <\/p>\n

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They eventually make it to shore with the help of a second lifeguard. No one suffered any serious injuries, officials said. <\/p>\n

President Trump re-shared the video in a post on X \u2014 calling the teen a \u201cheroic young man\u201d who he hopes will come to the White House to be properly honored for his valor. <\/p>\n

\u201cVery brave, he deserves it!\u201d the president said. <\/p>\n

But in a statement, lifeguard Ryder Williams said he was simply doing the job he loves. This summer is his first as a California State Parks lifeguard. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,\u201d Ryder, 16, said in a statement. \u201cThis is my job and I love what I do. I\u2019m thankful to my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues just like this every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

He described seeing the child \u201close his footing in ankle deep water,\u201d prompting him to run into the waves after him. <\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the first wave I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard,\u201d he recalled in the statement. \u201cThere were two to three more waves before lifeguard Aaron Bohnen entered the water to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the teen\u2019s humble retelling underplays a harrowing incident. Vander Dussen, who captured the now-viral video, said the rescue was unlike any he\u2019d seen, given the intensity of the waves and several moments during which he worried the pair might not both make it out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen lots of interventions and rescues,\u201d Vander Dussen said. \u201cI have never seen something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shane Williams, Ryder\u2019s father, told the Guardian <\/a>he was moved watching the video of his son and seeing the world\u2019s reactions. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super, super proud of him,\u201d Williams told the Guardian. <\/p>\n

Lifeguards across the state have made thousands of rescues<\/a> over the last few days as people have flocked to the coast to escape a long summer heat wave. But in their quest for relief, they\u2019ve found massive, dangerous waves and strong currents fueled by tropical cyclones from the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the National Weather Service<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Lifeguards with the California State Parks\u2019 Santa Cruz District, which includes Seabright State Beach, performed 34 rescues over the weekend and more than 5,000 \u201cpreventative contacts\u201d with beachgoers, which may have avoided additional rescues. <\/p>\n

Vander Dussen said the waves didn\u2019t initially appear extraordinary at Seabright beach Saturday afternoon, until he heard a crash from what he called a sneaker wave<\/a> \u2014 swells that suddenly surge much farther up a beach and are considered potentially dangerous because they can overtake unsuspecting beachgoers.<\/p>\n

As the foaming waters began to retreat, he said he saw a \u201cyoung man\u2019s head popping up, being carried out to the ocean.\u201d Almost immediately, he said, several people, including himself, alerted the closest lifeguard tower. But they soon realized a lifeguard from a slightly closer tower was already jumping into action: Ryder Williams. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when I turned the camera on and started to document it,\u201d Vander Dussen said, adding that he \u201chad no idea it was going to be that intense.\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched the lifeguard expertly navigate several powerful wave cycles but became worried about the child, who appeared limp during the rescue. <\/p>\n

Eventually, the lifeguard made some progress bringing the boy inland, and with the help of another lifeguard, they made it ashore. The 10-year-old boy who was rescued received some immediate medical attention but was soon released to his parents, Vander Dussen said. <\/p>\n

After watching the video several times, Vander Dussen said he became more and more impressed by the young lifeguard. <\/p>\n

\u201cRyder really knows what he\u2019s doing,\u201d he said, calling him a \u201cquintessential Santa Cruz lifeguard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, he said the teen had remained \u201cincredibly humble,\u201d even as he\u2019s told him about how wide the video has spread. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot to process for a young man,\u201d Vander Dussen said. But he said he deserved the praise, calling him a \u201clocal hero\u201d who \u201cknows the ocean in and out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the perfect person you\u2019d want out there rescuing you,\u201d Vander Dussen said. <\/p>\n

State officials agreed. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur State Park lifeguards courageously risk their own lives every day to keep our visitors safe,\u201d State Parks spokesperson Angelica De La Pe\u00f1a said in a statement. \u201cTheir dedication never goes unnoticed and they are truly heroes to their local communities, Californians and the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vander Dussen said he initially shared the video not just to raise awareness about water safety, but also to increase support for lifeguards, whom he called key first responders \u2014 though federally they aren\u2019t classified as such. <\/p>\n

He is hoping the video helps boost support for an effort in Congress<\/a> to ensure they are considered first responders, which would allow them to be eligible for some specific benefits<\/a>, especially if something goes wrong on the job. <\/p>\n