Trump congratulates Santa Cruz lifeguard after dramatic rescue

WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump on Monday congratulated the 16-year-old Santa Cruz lifeguard who was captured on camera last month saving a 10-year-old boy from violent waves in the Pacific Ocean.

Trump congratulates teen

What they're saying:

"This is a great story," Trump said. "And it's an honor to be with Ryder Williams. And I understand he was a winner right from the time they first saw him as a lifeguard and a lot of training, a lot of work."

Trump then added how much he values lifeguards. 

"I think you have to have lifeguards around. Right? Because you could go to the water," Trump said. "It looked so beautiful that day. It was such a beautiful day. Everything nice. The water didn't look that bad. And then all of a sudden, you see these violent waves come in. That's what amazes me so much. I studied it, I said, ‘This is incredible.’" 

Lifeguard speaks

Ryder sat in a chair to the right of the president in a uniform and tie, his hands clasped together. Nathanial Rai – the boy he saved – sat to the president's left. Ryder's lifeguard colleague Aaron Bohnen was also at the White House event. 

"In those dangerous moments that we have, we always try to fall back on our training," Ryder said — the first time he spoke publicly since video of his rescue in late July at Seabright State Beach went viral. "We are trained so well by many to handle that situation as best we can."

Affordability for lifeguards

Dig deeper:

California State Parks Aquatic Superintendent Justin McHenry was also in attendance with the boys' families and other state officials. 

McHenry told the president that his team trains about 200 lifeguards, starting at the age of 16, each year.

"It requires a lot of integrity and resilience," he said. "And I think this particular rescue the right to perform really exemplifies what we're looking for." 

McHenry also made sure to talk to Trump about affordability, or the lack thereof, explaining that it's really expensive for lifeguards to live in the Santa Cruz area, where there are million-dollar homes and his team earns just a little more than minimum wage.

"It's hard to retain employees," he said. 
 

Photographer Scott Vander Dussen recorded Ryder and a fellow lifeguard pulling Nathaniel out from the sea, which he told KTVU was full of crashing waves. 

Vander Dussen, a local beach resident, described the event as the most intense rescue he has ever witnessed and noted that he hopes the footage serves as a warning about ocean safety.

What's next:

Ryder told the president he wants to be a firefighter after going to paramedic school.

"I hope that everybody can take away from this and try to help more people," Ryder said. "Try to look out for everybody around you and, just try to help everybody out as much as you can."