Watch: Trump honours teen lifeguard who saved Indian-origin boy in daring op

A teenage lifeguard and the 10-year-old Indian-origin boy he rescued off the California coast were reunited at the White House on Monday, where President Donald Trump honoured both as heroes. The meeting in the Oval Office came after a video of the July rescue at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz was widely shared online."He's a real hero. I don't know if I'd do it. I wouldn't probably," Trump said of 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams, who pulled Nathaniel Rai from 8-to-10-foot waves at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz in July."You’re lucky I wasn't on the service that day," Trump added.Trump hosted Williams and 10-year-old Nathaniel, along with their families and fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen, who helped in the rescue. The president said Williams' actions were "incredible" and praised the teenager for remaining composed during the dramatic rescue. Trump hosted 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams at the White House, praising him for rescuing 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai from dangerous surf in the ocean off Santa Cruz last month pic.twitter.com/LGEVzAkvc9— Reuters (@Reuters) August 17, 2026 "What you did was incredible, and everybody saw it," Trump told the boys, referring to video of the rescue that went viral and was viewed millions of times worldwide. "When I first saw it, I said, 'roll that back, I want to see that again.'"The footage shows Williams clutching Nathaniel as heavy waves repeatedly crash into them. At one point, the two disappear underwater for several seconds before emerging from the surf, with Williams continuing to pull Nathaniel towards shore. On July 25, 2026, at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, California, 16-year-old first-year California State Parks lifeguard Ryder Williams spotted 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai (visiting from Dallas) lose his footing in ankle-deep water and get violently swept about 15 yards pic.twitter.com/jJ9g100aSn— DeeplueCrypto (@DeepBlueCrypto) August 17, 2026Trump called Williams a "real hero" and told Nathaniel that "God was watching you". He also praised the 10-year-old for staying calm during the emergency."Your father is the happiest man in the world," Trump told Nathaniel. "The way Nathaniel handled it was, he was cool, considering the problems".Williams said he relied on his training during the rescue."In those dangerous moments that we have, we always try to fall back on our training," he said. "I really was thinking about how to get the boy out of the water as fast as I can."Williams had seen Nathaniel lose his footing in shallow water, while the rough conditions prevented him from getting a rescue tube around the boy. Nathaniel went unconscious as the two endured a series of pounding waves before Bohnen helped them reach shore.In the Oval Office, Trump also praised Williams's "tremendous grace" during the rescue."It's so amazing to see this happen, to see it before your eyes," Trump said. "I've seen rescues before. I’ve never seen anything quite like this".Williams, who wore a black uniform bearing a California State Parks lifeguard patch, said he hopes to train as a paramedic and become a firefighter. Trump told him he may be getting "some good recommendations".Trump also invited the boys to see the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House.After the rescue video drew widespread attention online last month, Trump posted it on his Truth Social platform and said the boys deserved to be honoured. On July 28, he wrote that he planned to bring Williams and his family to the White House, potentially alongside the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honour.- EndsPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 09:50 IST