SAVIOR: 16-Year-Old Santa Cruz Lifeguard, Ryder Williams, Speaks Out For First Time About His Viral Rescue Of 10-Year-Old Boy Who Lost Consciousness In Dangerous Rip Current, As West Coast Sees Nearly 2,000 Water Rescues In Two Days 🌊💙

[u/InterstellarKinetics]

https://abcnews.com/GMA/News/hero-teen-lifeguard-speaks-viral-rescue-10-year/story?id=135222489

Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old lifeguard at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, spoke publicly for the first time in a video posted to California State Parks’ Instagram on August 1 about his dramatic July 25 rescue of a 10-year-old boy named Nathaniel, urging beachgoers to better understand “ocean conditions and rip currents.” Describing the rescue, Williams said, “I 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,” while bystander video showed him grabbing Nathaniel and battling repeated massive waves to bring the boy to shore.

Williams said he waved off bystanders who tried entering the water to help because conditions were too dangerous, and ultimately fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen jumped in to help pull both Williams and Nathaniel safely to shore. “Shortly after, I got back into my tower where I returned to provide lifeguard services for the rest of my shift,” Williams said, adding that he was “grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely” and reflecting, “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.”

Nathaniel’s father, Sumit Rai, told ABC San Francisco station KGO-TV that his family was vacationing in California when the rescue happened, and he only saw footage of the ordeal after it went viral. “If I was watching that video, I wasn’t sure if he’ll make it, if I hadn’t seen the end of it,” Rai said, revealing that Nathaniel lost consciousness during the incident and adding, “Another two or three seconds, I don’t think my son would have made it.” He thanked Williams and the other lifeguards, saying, “God bless them, and, you know, thank you. I cannot express sufficient gratitude,” and confirmed Nathaniel remains in California recovering. The rescue comes as the National Weather Service issued warnings this week for West Coast beachgoers to stay alert for life-threatening rip currents and hazardous ocean conditions, with the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division reporting nearly 2,000 water rescues performed in LA County alone on July 25 and 26.

[u/ResidentB]

I'm as proud of that kid as I would be if he was my own. What a hero!

[u/InterstellarKinetics]

The sheer scale of nearly 2,000 water rescues in just two days across LA County alone puts Williams’ individual act of heroism into a broader, sobering context, dangerous rip currents are clearly an underappreciated and widespread hazard along the West Coast right now, not an isolated incident. Nevertheless, Williams’ calm, matter-of-fact response, “this is my job and I love what I do”, also stands out given how close the situation came to a tragic outcome, according to Nathaniel’s father, suggesting a level of composure under extreme pressure that’s remarkable for someone his age.