Trump invites teenage hero lifeguard to White House
Updated . First published at
US President Donald Trump says he wants to invite a teenage lifeguard to the White House to bestow a high civilian honour after the 16-year-old was filmed bravely fighting monstrous waves to save a young boy from drowning off the California coast.
The harrowing rescue unfolded at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz when a 10-year-old swimmer was caught in treacherous shore break and dragged into heavy surf.
The teenager has garnered widespread praise around the world for his brave actions. SantaCruzNow
Heart-stopping video of the incident quickly went viral online, showing the lifeguard - identified on social media as 16-year-old Ryder - repeatedly disappearing beneath thumping white waves while gripping onto the terrified child.
The Santa Cruz State Lifeguard Association confirmed to Fox News the teenager did an “excellent job” during the high-stakes rescue, praising his quick actions and composure for saving a life.
Taking to social media platform X, President Trump said the teenager’s extraordinary courage deserved national recognition.
“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 posted.
His comments came shortly after his son, Eric Trump, shared the video and called for Ryder to receive the nation’s highest civilian recognition, describing his efforts as “truly the best of America.”
Witnesses on the sand recalled how rapidly the ocean turned dangerous, describing how a massive swell surged up the beach without warning and caught beachgoers off guard.
One bystander who witnessed the rescue said beachgoers formed a human chain along the water’s edge to try and assist, before a jet ski and lifeguard rescue truck rushed to the scene.
“It was all so incredible and we all clapped and told the lifeguard great job as he ran past us to his tower to grab some aid once the kid was rescued,” the witness wrote in a comment on the Santa Cruz State Lifeguard Association’s Instagram page.
The witness added that Ryder remained remarkably calm and focused before returning to duty for the remainder of his shift.
The teenage lifeguard and bystanders are seen dragging the young swimmer out of the churning waves. Santa Cruz Now
Paramedics evaluated the young victim on shore before he was safely reunited with his family.
An Instagram user identifying herself as the teenager’s mother thanked the community for the overwhelming flood of support, saying her son did not have an Instagram account. She said her son was simply “doing the job that he absolutely loves.”
Rather than setting up a crowdfunding page, she encouraged well-wishers to donate to local junior lifeguard programs and urged authorities to formally classify lifeguards as first responders.
“Thank you to all the lifeguards! They’re having quite the summer and these people are all incredible,” she wrote.
Lifeguards along the Santa Cruz coastline performed more than 25 water rescues on that day alone as powerful swells, sneaker waves, and hazardous rip currents pummelled the Northern California shore.
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