President Donald Trump welcomed 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams and the 10-year-old boy he rescued to the White House on Monday to recognize the daring ocean rescue.
"He's a real hero," Trump said of Williams, who sat beside him in the Oval Office. "What you did was incredible and everybody saw it. It's unbelievable."
Williams was filmed last month rescuing Nathaniel Rai from strong waves at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California. Rai, who was on vacation with his family from Dallas, was swept out to sea in ankle-deep water. Footage of the rescue showed Williams struggling against the surf while holding onto the boy and bringing him to safety.
Trump expressed his admiration for the rescue video and the young man's bravery. "It's not my world but I respect that world, I always have, but never maybe as much as I do now," the president stated.
Turning to Williams' mother, Shannon, who was present, Trump commented, "You did a good job, it's good genetics, when you look at him, you can see." He also praised Rai for remaining calm during the rescue. "You were very cool," Trump told the boy. "Your father is the happiest man in the world," he added, addressing Rai's father, Sumit.
Rai's father expressed his gratitude, saying, "It's incredible what Ryder did, I'm just beyond grateful to him, and Aaron and the rest of the team and even the good Samaritans that were there." Another lifeguard, Aaron Bohnen, also assisted in the rescue.
Trump joked about his own potential actions, "I don't know if I'd do it, I wouldn't, probably, you're lucky I wasn't on service that day."
Williams stated his ambition to become a firefighter and thanked his training team for preparing him to act swiftly in dangerous situations. Trump responded, "He's off to a good start, we'll give him recommendations."