Father of boy rescued from pounding California surf says he is beyond
grateful to teen lifeguard
[July 30, 2026]
By HALLIE GOLDEN
The father of a 10-year-old rescued from pounding surf off the
California coast in a dramatic scene captured on video says he is beyond
grateful to the teenage lifeguard who saved his son.
“He ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly. You
have 10 foot waves; you have riptides and currents coming in,” Sumit Rai
told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “It is not safe for him to go
into that water. So he’s risking his own safety.”
Rai’s son Nathaniel was standing in shallow water when he lost his
footing and was pulled into the ocean Saturday by powerful swells that
suddenly came ashore at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, about 60 miles
(about 100 kilometers) down the coast from San Francisco. Rai, who was
in his home city of Dallas, said he heard about what happened when he
spoke to his kids on the phone that evening.
“My son told me that he drowned and my son told me that he went
unconscious,” he said. “He was very subdued, still in a state of shock.”
By the next morning, Rai had watched the video of the rescue that has
since caught the attention of President Donald Trump.
Ryder Williams, 16, the lifeguard who saved Nathaniel, said he saw the
boy lose his footing in ankle-deep water. He radioed in and then raced
toward Nathaniel.
“After the first wave, I was unable to pull him out because he was limp
and the waves were pushing so hard,” he said in a statement.
California State Parks, which employs the lifeguards at that beach, said
the boy was swept about 15 yards (13.7 meters) into the ocean before the
lifeguard made contact with him.
In the video, Williams can be seen diving into a coming wave while
holding tight to the boy.
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This undated photo taken and provided by Sumit Rai shows his son,
Nathaniel, 10, who was the one rescued Saturday, July 25 2026, in
Santa Cruz by the teen lifeguard. (Sumit Rai via AP)
Another lifeguard jumped in to help, along with some bystanders, who
Williams said he warned to go back to the shore.
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his
family safely,” he said. “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.”
The boy had no serious injuries, and after an medical evaluation he
was released to his family, the California State Parks said in an
emailed statement.
Rai said his son told him that he got sand in his lungs and was
coughing it out after getting to the shore. Now his son, who is
expected back from California in a few days, is dealing with the
psychological effects of what happened.
“He’s still been thinking about it a lot. It’s on his mind,” he
said. “It bothers him when he’s sleeping. So it’s obviously
traumatizing.”
Rai has reached out to Williams and said he hopes to be able to
thank him directly.
“What he did, I can never ever repay," he said. "I'm forever
grateful.”
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