By Ghazali Ibrahim
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to honor a 16-year-old California lifeguard who risked his life to rescue a 10-year-old boy from powerful ocean waves, following a dramatic incident that has captured national attention.
The teenager, identified as Ryder Williams, carried out the rescue at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, California, after the child was swept into the ocean by strong surf.
Video footage of the incident, widely shared on social media, showed the young lifeguard battling towering waves while holding the boy above water until they reached safety.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump praised the teenager’s courage and said he would invite him, his family and possibly the rescued boy to the White House.
“We’re going to bring this heroic young man, and his family, into the White House with, perhaps, the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honor. Very brave, he deserves it!” Trump wrote.
According to California State Parks, the boy was knocked off his feet by a powerful wave and swept about 15 yards offshore before Ryder rushed into the water.
Another lifeguard later joined the rescue, and together they brought the child safely back to shore. The boy was treated by paramedics and released to his parents without serious injuries.
Officials said the rescue took place during a weekend of dangerous surf conditions linked to large ocean swells, with lifeguards in the Santa Cruz area responding to 34 water rescues and making thousands of preventive safety contacts.
The dramatic rescue has drawn widespread praise from emergency responders and members of the public, many of whom hailed Ryder’s composure and bravery despite being in his first year as a seasonal lifeguard.
The viral footage has also renewed calls for greater recognition of lifeguards as first responders.
While the White House has not yet announced a date for the ceremony or specified the exact award Ryder will receive, Trump’s announcement has placed the teenage lifeguard in the national spotlight as Americans celebrate his heroic actions in saving a young life.
