A 10-year-old boy doesn’t remember his heroic rescue after a giant wave swept him off his feet in ankle-deep water. Last month, a teen lifeguard pulled him from the hammering waves off the California coast. The incident went viral after footage of the intense moment circulated online.
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Details About The Heroic Lifeguard Rescue
Video of the rescue showed 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams clinging to 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai as wave after wave crashed over them. The pair disappeared from view and reemerged after several seconds as the wave receded. The video of the rescue was seen around the world, even catching the attention of President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Ryder Williams said he saw the 10-year-old lose his footing in the shallow water. However, the water was too rough to get a rescue tube around the boy, who lost consciousness and went limp. The pair rode out a few more massive waves before a second lifeguard was able to help get them both back to shore, Williams said in a statement after the rescue.
Meet the hero! 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder (reportedly Ryder Williams)
This high school student and seasonal Santa Cruz State Parks lifeguard pulled off one of the most incredible rescues of the summer at Seabright Beach on July 25.
A 10-year-old boy was being hammered by… pic.twitter.com/aptY6u0nSb
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) July 28, 2026
What Does The 10-Year-Old Boy Remember?
Nathaniel was on vacation with his mother on July 25 at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz. That’s about 60 miles down the coast from San Francisco. Though the 10-year-old is thankful for the rescue, he told the Associated Press his memory of the incident is limited. After the waves knocked him over, Nathaniel said the next thing he remembered was lifeguards grabbing him.
“I told him I was thankful he saved my life,” the boy told The Associated Press from his father’s home in Dallas.
Additionally, regarding the rescue, Nathaniel Rai said, “I think I have a bruise from him holding me so tight.” Nathaniel said he had a little trouble breathing for a few days and his back was sore. But, other than the bruise, he is doing well.
Boy’s Dad Speaks Out About Incident
Nathaniel has watched the video. Like his father, he is amazed at how strong the California waves were and the bravery shown by everyone who helped in the rescue.
“He was two seconds away from dying,” said Nathaniel’s father, Sumit Rai. “Another couple seconds, if Ryder had not gotten to him, he would have been thrown another 15, 20 feet out to sea, at which point you can’t see him, let alone retrieve him or rescue him.”
The father and son had a chance to talk to the lifeguard and his father. “It turns out we have a lot of common interests and it’s kind of a small world in that sense,” Sumit Rai said.
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Associated Press writers Kendria LaFleur and Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.
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