“He ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly,” Sumit Rai said of the lifeguard who saved his son
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NEED TO KNOW
- Sumit Rai said he’s “forever grateful” after his son was rescued from dangerous waves at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz by a 16-year-old lifeguard
- Rai said his son told him after the rescue that he had been in a “state of shock” and that the incident is still “on his mind”
- The lifeguard’s own father also praised his son for his determination, noting his years of swimming and water polo prepared him for the rescue
A father is speaking out after his 10-year-old son was involved in a viral moment when he was rescued from dangerous waves at a California beach by a 16-year-old lifeguard.
Sumit Rai told The Associated Press that he was grateful for the lifeguard — who has since been identified as Ryder Williams — for saving his son Nathaniel from drowning at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz on Saturday, July 25.
In the viral video, Williams could be seen bear-hugging Nathaniel as he attempted to bring him to shore despite large waves crashing around them, some of which reached several feet. At one point, the teen could even be seen taking the brunt of a large wave before resurfacing.
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The video also showed several others rushing over and doing their best to help the lifeguard and the child, holding on to them in hopes that they wouldn’t be swept further away. Ultimately the rescue was successful — and Rai credits the brave lifeguard who initially went out.
“He ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly,” Rai told the outlet. “You have 10 foot waves; you have riptides and currents coming in. It is not safe for him to go into that water. So he’s risking his own safety.”
Rai, who had been in Dallas at the time of the incident, told AP that he found out what happened on a phone call with his children that same evening. He said that Nathaniel had lost his footing after standing in ankle-deep water on the beach and was pulled into the ocean.
“My son told me that he drowned, and my son told me that he went unconscious,” he recalled. “He was very subdued, still in a state of shock.”
The California State Parks said in a statement that the boy didn’t sustain any serious injuries, and he was evaluated by paramedics before being released, according to NBC Bay Area.
Rai told AP that his son got sand in his lungs and had been coughing it out after he returned to the shore. He said the boy still struggles to come to terms with 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.”
The father added that he has since reached out to Williams and hopes to thank him directly, saying, “What he did, I can never ever repay. I’m forever grateful.”
Rai wasn’t the only one who was proud of the 16-year-old lifeguard. Ryder’s father, Shane Williams, told The Guardian that he was so “proud” of his son for jumping in to save Nathaniel’s life.
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“[Ryder] told me: ‘I just was not going to let that happen,’ ” Shane told the outlet. “I almost started crying because how determined he was to save that boy’s life makes me so proud.”
“It’s just been in his DNA since he was born,” the father added of his son, who starting swimming at the age of 6 and played water polo. “He sees [what happened Saturday] as his job – his duty. He did his job that day.”
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