Indian American father thanks teen lifeguard for saving 10-year-old son from deadly California surf

Highlights:

• Indian American boy rescued from dangerous surf at California's Seabright Beach.
• Father says teen lifeguard saved his son's life within seconds of tragedy.
• Lifeguard Ryder Williams battled 10-foot waves to reach the unconscious child.
• Nathaniel survived without serious injuries but remains traumatized by the ordeal.
• President Donald Trump has invited Williams to the White House for a civilian honor.

THE father of a 10-year-old boy rescued from rough surf off the California coast has said he is forever grateful to the teenage lifeguard who saved his son’s life, adding that only seconds separated the child from death.

Sumit Rai, of Dallas, said his son Nathaniel was standing in shallow water at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz last Saturday (25) when powerful waves pulled him into the ocean. Rai said Nathaniel had travelled to California with his mother and eight-year-old sister while he remained in Dallas.

Rai told the Associated Press on Wednesday that 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams risked his own life to rescue his son.

“He ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly. You have 10-foot waves; you have riptides and currents coming in,” Rai said. “It is not safe for him to go into that water. So he’s risking his own safety.”

Rai said he first learned about the incident during a phone call with his children that evening.

“My son told me that he drowned and my son told me that he went unconscious,” he said. “He was very subdued, still in a state of shock.”

Speaking to ABC7News, Rai said he believed his son came very close to dying. “Another two or three seconds, I don’t think my son would have made it,” Rai said.

“From what I gathered, he assumed he was going to die. He was drowning. He knew he was drowning. He blacked out. He went unconscious. When he came out of the water, he was clearly limp. It doesn’t look like he was breathing,” Rai told ABC7News.

Williams said he saw Nathaniel lose his footing in ankle-deep water, radioed for help and ran into the surf.

“After the first wave, I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard,” Williams said in a statement.

California State Parks said Nathaniel was swept about 15 yards into the ocean before Williams reached him. Another lifeguard, Aaron Bohnen, also joined the rescue, while bystanders helped from the shore. The rescue, filmed by Scott Vander Dussen, later went viral on social media.

“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,” Williams said. “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.”

“If the lifeguards weren’t there, it would’ve had a different ending,” Vander Dussen told ABC7News.

California State Parks said the boy suffered no serious injuries and was released to his family after a medical evaluation. Rai said Nathaniel is still in California recovering and continues to deal with the trauma.

“He’s still been thinking about it a lot. It’s on his mind,” Rai said. “It bothers him when he’s sleeping. So it’s obviously traumatizing.”

“We’re just lucky. Fortunate, because of Ryder and those people that helped, that he actually survived this,” Rai said. Looking back at the rescue video, Rai said he still finds it difficult to watch.

“If I was watching that video, I wasn’t sure if he’ll make it if I hadn’t seen the end of it. And I wasn’t sure, honestly, if the lifeguard would make it out with those conditions. I’m just so grateful that Ryder and others were there to help pull him out and save his life. Otherwise, I can’t imagine what life would look like today,” Rai said.

He said he hopes to thank Williams in person. “What he did, I can never ever repay,” Rai said. “I’m forever grateful.”

The rescue has drawn attention across the US, and president Donald Trump has invited Williams to the White House to present him with a civilian honour.