Santa Cruz lifeguard recalls heroic rescue in new statement

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - By now we've all seen the video or at least heard of the heroic lifeguard who rescued a boy from dangerous waves at a Santa Cruz Beach over the weekend. The president has even made it a point to publicly invite the 16-year-old to the White House to be honored.

But until today, we haven't heard from the lifeguard himself. Now, through a statement shared by California State Parks on behalf of lifeguard Ryder Williams, we get a glimpse of how he sprang into action when he saw a child in danger in the waters at Seabright State Beach on Saturday. 

Williams described the undulating conditions and how he persisted even when the waves overpowered him. State Parks officials said there was a significant swell as this was the same day a beach hazard statement went into effect for much of California's Pacific Coast. Officials said the swell produced consistent 4 to 6-foot waves and at times, waves reached as high as 10 feet. 

Thankfully, another lifeguard stepped in. State Parks officials described Williams as a rookie, but acknowledged the courage and risks lifeguards take to keep everyone safe. 

Ultimately, it took teamwork to save that 10-year-old boy's life that day. 

"Their dedication never goes unnoticed and they are truly heroes to their local communities, Californians and the nation," State Parks officials said of their lifeguards. 

Ryder's statement 

"I was at the waterline 15 yards downcoast of Tower 2 making a safety contact when I looked up and saw a child about 20 (yards) up from the tower lose his footing in ankle deep water. I radioed it in, threw my radio and sunglasses at the base of my tower as I ran toward the kid. I put my fins on my wrist, popped my buoy and entered the water to get ahold of the child. Due to the volatility of the water, I was unable to tube up the victim. After the first wave I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard. There were two to three more waves before lifeguard Aaron Bohnen entered the water to help me. There were bystanders who jumped in to try to help, and I yelled at them all to get back to shore.
 

Once Bohnen and I got the kid to shore I was instructed to get the med bag from Bohnen’s unit and we assessed the child. Shortly after, I got back into my tower where I returned to provide lifeguard services for the rest of my shift.

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely. 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."

State Parks officials said their lifeguards were busy that day with the large surf and warm weather that attracted plenty of beach goers. 

"All California State Park lifeguard towers were staffed, there were 6 units on, a two-person rescue water craft team, three permanent lifeguard units, and a lifeguard supervisor working in Pajaro Coast," State Parks said in a statement on Wednesday. 

They said their Santa Cruz district lifeguards performed 34 rescues over the weekend. 

As for Williams' invite to the White House, it remains unclear if he plans to accept the president's "civilian honor." 

Father is grateful his son is alive

Sumit Rai, the father of Nathaniel, the boy who was rescued by a Santa Cruz lifeguard over the weekend, says he is grateful his son is alive. He thanked the lifeguards and good Samaritans for coming to his son's aid. He said he and his wife are separated, going through a divorce and that Nathaniel and his younger sister live with him in Dallas, Texas. 

He said his wife took the kids on vacation in California. "I didn't know about the incident until later on Saturday," Rai said. "My son shared with me he had drowned and was unconscious and this had occurred." He said he learned more details from his 8-year-old daughter.  

He spoke of the ocean's power. 

"It was a remarkable effort to bring him back to shore. I mean Ryder fought the sea," he said. He talked about rip currents that suck you back into the ocean. "It's really hard to fight that and my son was unconscious. He weighs about 100 lbs. and he was limp, so that's basically dead weight that he had to carry and hold onto to pull back to shore."

He said it was a remarkably difficult rescue. "It's so easy to let go and he knew that if he lets go then he's gonna basically just float away and he's gone. That's the end of it and he would have died." Rai said he was grateful for Williams' resilience and courage. 

Watch the full interview with the boy who was rescued's father. 

This harrowing tale is also a good reminder of water safety tips when you head out to the beach this summer. 

State Parks water safety tips: 

• Summertime south swells often have long intervals between sets of waves, which can lend to a false sense of security due to conditions appearing calm even during periods of high surf.
• Always thoroughly observe ocean conditions before entering the water, and/or always check in with a lifeguard before entering the water if one is available.  
• Parents should be within arms reach of their children if they are playing in the water or on the waterline at all times.
• DO NOT attempt rescues yourself. Stay high and dry, always maintain a visual of the victim, and be ready to flag down responders. Many cases have been made more dangerous by bystanders attempting rescues, putting themselves in a position beyond their abilities.
• Seconds matter. If you see a person in distress, please call 911 immediately. If you aren’t sure if someone is in distress, call 911, and first responders can verify the situation.
• Beware of constantly changing conditions, tides and swell variables can quickly change a safe day at the beach into dangerous conditions.
• Never turn your back on the ocean. Always swim near a lifeguard.