California teen lifeguard's viral rescue captures awe. He was just doing 'his duty'

The dramatic footage of a teenage lifeguard saving a child from punishing waves along the California coast has captured the attention of the nation, drawing praise from the shores of Santa Cruz all the way to the White House. Video of the rescue at Seabright State Beach on Saturday, captured and shared by local photographer Scott Vander Dussen, has gone viral on virtually every social media platform. The footage shows the rookie lifeguard, just 16 years old, holding onto a limp child as massive swells repeatedly pound the duo. They eventually make it to shore with the help of a second lifeguard. No one suffered any serious injuries, officials said. President Trump re-shared the video in a post on X — calling the teen a "heroic young man" who he hopes will come to the White House to be properly honored for his valor. "Very brave, he deserves it!" the president said. But in a statement, lifeguard Ryder Williams said he was simply doing the job he loves. This summer is his first as a California State Parks lifeguard. "I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely," Ryder, 16, said in a statement. "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.” He described seeing the child "lose his footing in ankle deep water," prompting him to run into the waves after him. "After the first wave I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard," he recalled in the statement. "There were two to three more waves before lifeguard Aaron Bohnen entered the water to help me." But the teen's humble retelling underplays a harrowing incident. Vander Dussen, who captured the now-viral video, said the rescue was unlike any he'd seen, given the intensity of the waves and several moments during which he worried the pair might not both make it out. “I've seen lots of interventions and rescues," Vander Dussen said. “I have never seen something like this." Shane Williams, Ryder's father, told the Guardian he was moved watching the video of his son and seeing the world's reactions. “I’m super, super proud of him,” Williams told the Guardian. Lifeguards across the state have made thousands of rescues over the last few days as people have flocked to the coast to escape a long summer heat wave. But in their quest for relief, they've found massive, dangerous waves and strong currents fueled by tropical cyclones from the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the National Weather Service. Lifeguards with the California State Parks’ Santa Cruz District, which includes Seabright State Beach, performed 34 rescues over the weekend and more than 5,000 "preventative contacts" with beachgoers, which may have avoided additional rescues. Vander Dussen said the waves didn't initially appear extraordinary at Seabright beach Saturday afternoon, until he heard a crash from what he called a sneaker wave — swells that suddenly surge much farther up a beach and are considered potentially dangerous because they can overtake unsuspecting beachgoers. As the foaming waters began to retreat, he said he saw a "young man's head popping up, being carried out to the ocean." Almost immediately, he said, several people, including himself, alerted the closest lifeguard tower. But they soon realized a lifeguard from a slightly closer tower was already jumping into action: Ryder Williams. "That's when I turned the camera on and started to document it," Vander Dussen said, adding that he "had no idea it was going to be that intense." He watched the lifeguard expertly navigate several powerful wave cycles but became worried about the child, who appeared limp during the rescue. Eventually, the lifeguard made some progress bringing the boy inland, and with the help of another lifeguard, they made it ashore. The 10-year-old boy who was rescued received some immediate medical attention but was soon released to his parents, Vander Dussen said. After watching the video several times, Vander Dussen said he became more and more impressed by the young lifeguard. "Ryder really knows what he’s doing,” he said, calling him a "quintessential Santa Cruz lifeguard." Still, he said the teen had remained "incredibly humble," even as he's told him about how wide the video has spread. “It’s a lot to process for a young man," Vander Dussen said. But he said he deserved the praise, calling him a "local hero" who "knows the ocean in and out.” "He’s the perfect person you’d want out there rescuing you," Vander Dussen said. State officials agreed. "Our State Park lifeguards courageously risk their own lives every day to keep our visitors safe," State Parks spokesperson Angelica De La Peña said in a statement. "Their dedication never goes unnoticed and they are truly heroes to their local communities, Californians and the nation." Vander Dussen said he initially shared the video not just to raise awareness about water safety, but also to increase support for lifeguards, whom he called key first responders — though federally they aren't classified as such. He is hoping the video helps boost support for an effort in Congress to ensure they are considered first responders, which would allow them to be eligible for some specific benefits, especially if something goes wrong on the job.