Father of boy rescued from pounding California surf says he is beyond grateful

Here is a detailed summary of the NBC News report regarding the dramatic rescue in Santa Cruz:

Introduction to the Viral Rescue: A 16-year-old lifeguard named Ryder Williams gained nationwide attention and praise after a video captured him risking his life to save a young boy from dangerous, pounding waves in Santa Cruz, California [00:00

].

Ryder’s First Rescue: This incident marked the very first rescue of Williams's career as a lifeguard [00:22]. Despite the intense situation, he immediately sprang into action [00:22]. In a statement, Williams remained humble, saying, "This is my job and I love what I do." [00:43]

Details of the Incident:

Williams recalled running into

the ocean after seeing the child stumble in ankle-deep water [00:59].

Due to the volatility of the water and the powerful waves pushing against them, he was initially unable to get the boy into a rescue tube or pull him straight out, describing the child as limp [01:03].

A bystander who filmed the viral video noted that the surf changed i

n a heartbeat, catching many people off guard [01:16].

Describing Williams's determination, the bystander noted that the teen held on with a "gorilla grip" to ensure the boy wouldn't be swept out further [01:26]. Williams eventually brought the child to safety with the assistance of another lifeguard [01:31].

Reactions from Family and Off

icials:

The rescued boy's father, Sumit Ry, expressed immense gratitude, stating that his son later recounted being unconscious and drowning, making the rescue feel miraculous [02:11].

Williams's own father expressed immense pride in his son's fierce determination, mentioning that Ryder was not on social media and remained largely unaware

of the viral attention he was receiving [01:43].

The video drew widespread praise, including an invitation from the president to visit the White House [01:54].

Background and Future Plans:

Williams is the son of a firefighter and a marine science researcher and grew up in Santa Cruz, leading his father to remark that he was "born to do t

his" [02:29].

After returning to work and preparing for his junior year of high school, Williams is already eyeing a future career in the fire service to follow in his father's footsteps [02:45].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiXQC8lOYXM

Father of boy rescued from pounding California surf says he is beyond grateful

NBC News · 217K views