Trump to honor ‘heroic’ teen lifeguard for dramatic ocean rescue

After 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams rescued a 10-year-old boy on a California beach, President Donald Trump announced he would award the teen one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.

Williams aided in five rescues Saturday at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California, including one captured in a viral video recorded by Scott Vander Dussen.

“That boy was moments from not coming back. A few seconds, a few degrees, a few yards of distance, and this is a very different story with a very different ending. And if it had ended that way, the lifeguard who went in after him would have been left to carry it largely on his own,” Dussen said in an X post.

The rescue caught the attention of Eric Trump, the president’s son, who reposted the video on X Monday, calling Williams “the best of America.”

Although Williams was pulled underwater multiple times, he never let go of the boy.

“Witnesses say the dramatic rescue lasted several minutes, with another lifeguard eventually helping bring the child safely back to shore, where he was treated by paramedics and reunited with his family,” Fox News said on X.

President Trump also reposted the video Tuesday, saying he would invite “this heroic young man,” his family and possibly the boy he rescued to the White House, where he plans to present Williams with a civilian honor.

Shane Williams, Ryder’s father, praised his son’s actions. 

“He told me when he got home, he said, ‘Dad, I wasn’t going to let go of that kid because I knew if I let go of him he was going to drown and I wasn’t going to let that happen,’ and it brought a tear to my eye when he said that,” Shane Williams told the California Post.

Ryder Williams has since returned to work, and his family said they are trying to shield him from the sudden attention. They are “still processing” Trump’s announcement and have not yet heard from the White House, the California Post reported Tuesday.