The teenage lifeguard who saved a young swimmer at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz in July met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.
Ryder Williams, the 16-year-old lifeguard who rushed into the water to save a 10-year-old child who was overwhelmed by wave after wave last month, joined President Trump in the Oval Office.
“What you did was incredible, and everybody saw it,” Trump told Williams. “I know that when I first saw it, I said, ‘Roll that back, I want to see it again. Is that really happening?'”
Facing 8- to 10-foot-high pounding surf, sneaker waves and rip currents at Seabright Beach last week, Williams sprinted into the potentially deadly conditions.
The rescue was caught on a video that was watched by millions. Trump, who awarded the teen a high civilian honor, previously called Williams “heroic.”
The 16-year-old, who expressed his desire to become a firefighter in the future, wants more people to know about rip currents and how dangerous the surf can be. He encourages people to do their research before they go out into the ocean.
Williams said he received help from Aaron Bohnen, another lifeguard, and both brought the kid back to the shore.
The teen lifeguard who rescued a swimmer at Santa Cruz’s Seabright Beach will meet President Trump at the White House Monday. Bob Redell reports.
“This is my job and I love what I do,” Williams wrote in a statement. “I’m thankful to my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues just like this every day.”
Nathaniel Rai, the 10-year-old boy who Williams rescued, wants to be 11. That will happen Tuesday, which marks his birthday.
This story originally appeared on NBCBayArea.com.
