The father of the 10-year-old boy a teenage lifeguard rescued in Santa Cruz, California, has revealed what his son told him of the incident.
Sumit Rai said his son, Nathaniel, was standing in shallow water when swells overpowered him and dragged him into the water at Seabright Beach, the Associated Press (AP) reported Thursday.
Rai was in Dallas when the near-tragedy happened, and he learned about it in a phone call.
“My son told me that he drowned and my son told me that he went unconscious. He was very subdued, still in a state of shock,” Rai recalled.
The lifeguard who rescued the child was 16-year-old Ryder Williams, who acted without hesitation when he saw the boy was in need of help, per Breitbart News.
Video footage of the harrowing incident showed Williams holding onto Nathaniel as the waves repeatedly hit them. Several beachgoers tried to help but the waves were too strong. But Williams never let go of the boy:
“After the first wave, I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard,” Williams said. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely. 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 did not suffer any serious injuries.
The clip reached President Donald Trump, who said the White House will honor the lifeguard, according to Breitbart News.
“We’re going to bring this heroic young man, and his family, into the White House with, perhaps, the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honor. Very brave, he deserves it! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Rai has since contacted Williams to thank him for his bravery and saving his child’s life.
“What he did, I can never ever repay. I’m forever grateful,” he said, according to the AP.