Aug 2, 2026
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Add us on GoogleRyder Williams, a 16-year-old lifeguard, is being hailed a hero after he saved a 10-year-old boy, Nathaniel, from drowning in a strong rip tide at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California, last week. Now, many are pushing for a GoFundMe page to express their gratitude for his bravery, but Williams’ mother has turned down the offer of a monetary “thank you.”
In a statement released by his employer, California State Parks, Williams said he was at his post when he looked up and saw a child lose his footing in ankle-deep water. He radioed it in and ran towards him with his fins and buoy in a 10-foot swell he described as “volatile.”
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“After the first wave, I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard,” Williams said. “There were two to three more waves before lifeguard Aaron Bohnen entered the water to help me. There were bystanders who jumped in to try to help, and I yelled at them all to get back to shore.”
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Once Williams and Bohnen brought the boy to the shore, they assessed him to make sure he was okay.
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,” he 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.”
A video of Williams’ rescue went viral
A video of the lifeguard has quickly gone viral, circulating on social media and earning Williams national attention. The White House has even invited the “heroic young man” and his family to grant him a High Civilian Honor, which honors those who give an especially high level of service to the security or interests of the U.S., world peace or culture.
“Very brave, he deserves it!” Donald Trump wrote in an X post.
Nathaniel’s father, Sumit Rai, also shared a heartfelt thank you for Williams’ efforts in an interview with KTVU.
“It was a remarkable effort to bring him back to shore,” Rai said. “I mean Ryder fought the sea. It’s really hard to fight that, and my son was unconscious. He weighs about 100 pounds, and he was limp, so that’s basically dead weight that he had to carry and hold onto to pull back to shore.”
Williams’ rescue was one of 34 rescues in the Santa Cruz district over the weekend, California State Parks shared in a statement obtained by FOX 2 KTVU. The rip current and rough conditions were powered by the long-period swell from Hurricane Genevieve.
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Williams was only “doing the job” he loves
Williams is a first-season California State Parks seasonal lifeguard. At 16, the minimum age the state allows for lifeguards, he’s already saving lives.
“I almost started crying because how determined he was to save that boy’s life makes me so proud,” his father, Shane Williams, recounted in an interview with The Guardian. “He told me: ‘I just was not going to let that happen.’ He told me he doesn’t know why everyone was blowing this out of proportion. His comments to me are like … ‘Any other lifeguard on duty would do the same thing I did.”
When supporters asked about a GoFundMe, Williams’ mother turned it down and, instead, suggested they turn their attention to the program that trained him before he was old enough to serve.
“A few people have asked about a GoFundMe — but honestly he was just doing the job that he absolutely loves,” she said. “If you really want to help, a good program to support is the Santa Cruz County Parks and Rec Junior Guards program. He and all his buddies participated in it since they were old enough, and it’s a fantastic program.”
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AnnaMarie Houlis is a journalist and author with more than 15 years of experience, thousands of bylines and four books covering everything from travel, lifestyle and wellness to finance, technology and business.
