President Donald Trump recognized Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old lifeguard, at the White House on Monday for his heroic rescue of a 10-year-old boy from the surf in California last month. Williams and the child he saved, Nathaniel Rai, met with the president in the Oval Office.
Trump had announced on social media that Williams would receive a "High Civilian Honor" for the rescue, which occurred on Saturday, July 25, at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California. The president praised Williams, his family, and his trainers during the meeting.
"I know when I first saw it, I said, 'Roll that back. I want to see that again. Is that really happening?'" Trump said, recounting his reaction to seeing footage of the rescue.
Williams described the incident in a statement shared on Instagram by California State Parks. He saw the child lose his footing in shallow water approximately 20 yards from his lifeguard tower. "I radioed it in, threw my radio and sunglasses at the base of my tower as I ran toward the kid," Williams stated.
Williams, who is a lifeguard with California State Parks, added in a video posted by the state parks account, "That's just a part of our daily task to do. We keep the public safe, that's the reason we're on the beach." He also mentioned performing other rescues that same day.
On July 28, Trump posted on Truth Social, calling Williams "very brave" and stating his intention to bring the young man and his family to the White House, potentially with the boy he saved, to present the honor.
At the time of the rescue, a high surf advisory was in effect for the area, with swells reaching 4 to 6 inches and waves occasionally rising to 10 inches, according to California State Parks. The state parks noted that Seabright Beach has a steep shoreline and break, with heavy surf close to shore.
Nathaniel Rai lost consciousness during the incident, his father, Sumit Rai, told ABC News' San Francisco station KGO. He expressed profound gratitude, stating, "There's nothing more valuable to me than my children, and so to save one of them and their lives, especially at such a young tender age, you know, which is such a premature way to lose someone. I can't thank them enough."
Williams expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to return the child safely to his family. "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 said in his Instagram statement.