President Donald Trump welcomed Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old lifeguard, and Nathanial Rai, the 10-year-old he rescued from a rip tide in Santa Cruz, CA.
On July 25, monster waves pulled Rai into the surf.
Williams did not hesitate. He raced into the water and fought against the waves to bring Rai to the surface and back to shore.
Despite the exhaustion, Williams went back to his lifeguard stand and resumed his duties.
“We’re honored to have all of you. And again, what you did was incredible,” Trump told Williams. “And everybody saw it. And you’d watch it over and over. I know when I first saw it, I said, ‘Roll that back, I want to see that again. Is that really happening?’”
AMAZING: President Trump to HEROIC California lifeguard Ryder Williams who saved 10-year-old boy, Nathaniel Rai: “What you did was incredible and everybody saw it… I know when I first saw it, I said, ‘roll that back, I want to see that again. Is that really happening?’”
⁰“The… pic.twitter.com/6mj5Lzq4ma— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) August 17, 2026
Rai said he will remain forever grateful for Williams and the team who trained him because they get to celebrate Nathaniel’s 11th birthday on Tuesday.
“I cannot express sufficient gratitude,” Sumit Rai, Nathaniel’s father, said in a previous interview. “There’s nothing more valuable to me than my children, and so to save one of them and their lives, especially at such a young tender age, you know, which is such a premature way to lose someone. I can’t thank them enough.”
Williams remained as humble as he has been in previous interviews:
Reporter: “Do you have a message for your generation about service?”
Ryder: “I hope that everybody can take away from this to try to help more people. Try to look out for everybody around you.”
Reporter: “Do you have a message for your generation about service?”
Ryder: “I hope that everybody can take away from this to try to help more people. Try to look out for everybody around you.”
HERO ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FzrYs42jOV
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) August 17, 2026
Williams also wants to stay in a field that helps people:
Reporter: “A lot of people are very inspired by what you did… What would you like to do in the future? How has this experience as a lifeguard shaped you?”
California Lifeguard Ryder Williams: “In those dangerous moments we have, we always try to fall back on our training. We are trained so well by many to handle that situation as best as we can… I want to be a firefighter in the future. Hopefully go to paramedic school.”
President Trump: “He’s off to a good start… Some good recommendations.”
Reporter: “A lot of people are very inspired by what you did… What would you like to do in the future? How has this experience as a lifeguard shaped you?”
California Lifeguard Ryder Williams: “In those dangerous moments we have, we always try to fall back on our training. We… pic.twitter.com/bDTfxtkUHC
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) August 17, 2026
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