RedState’s Rusty Weiss brought you the story of a 16-year-old lifeguard’s amazing rescue at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California, in July when a 10-year-old boy was caught in heavy waves caused by distant tropical hurricanes.
As a lifelong ocean swimmer, I can admit that those 8- to 10-foot swells were downright scary, and I sure as heck would not want to be out there battling them. Here’s a reminder of their force in the form of a clip that has been viewed 45 million times on X alone (with countless further views on other platforms):
Give this 16-year-old lifeguard the highest civilian honor. This is truly the best of America! Well done! pic.twitter.com/Pq99xNK6WI
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) July 27, 2026
President Donald Trump had promised to honor the hero, and that’s exactly what he did Monday when he hosted the lifeguard, Ryder Williams, and the younger boy he pulled out from the raging current, Nathaniel Rai, in the Oval Office. Previously, he had vowed to bestow a high civilian honor on Ryder.
He joked with Nathaniel — who Williams said had gone limp during the drama — telling him that he was lucky it wasn’t Lifeguard Trump who was guarding swimmers that day:
.@POTUS: "He's a real hero. It's an amazing thing. And he's a real lucky guy, too. God was watching you, right?" https://t.co/qlgyPNZBGL pic.twitter.com/O0nUX9NqB7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 17, 2026
Trump:
You know, it's so exciting to see something like this happen. He's a real hero.
You know, when you see that… I don't know if I'd do it — I wouldn't, probably. [Laughter.] You’re lucky; I wasn't on the service that day. I don't know.
But no, he's a real hero. It's an amazing thing. [Indicates Nathaniel.] And here's a real lucky guy, too.God was watching you, right?
Nathaniel: “Yeah.”
MORE: Watch: Pulse-Stopping Video of Teen Lifeguard Saving Boy—Eric Trump Calls for Highest Civilian Honor
Feel-Good Friday: 12-Year-Old Saves a Man From Drowning: 'No Way That I Was Going to Let a Man Die'
This teen, Ryder Williams, has already proven that he’s a role model with his dangerous rescue, but he proved it again when we finally got to hear from him about what he was thinking during those heart-pounding moments:
Ryder Williams Delivers an Uplifting Message to His Generation - 08/17/26 pic.twitter.com/7545fgwZD3
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) August 17, 2026
Is this kid solid, or what?
In those dangerous moments that we have, we always try to fall back on our training. We are trained so well by many to handle that situation as best we can, so I really was thinking about how to get the boy out of the water as fast as I can.
Every military service in the country would love to get this guy, but he’s got other plans:
As for shaping my future, I want to be a firefighter... Hopefully go through paramedic school, and...
“We'll give him recommendations,” Trump interjected to laughter.
Asked whether he had a message to his generation, Ryder was eloquent:
I hope that everybody can take away from this and try to help more people. Try to look out for everybody around you, and just try to help everybody out as much as you can.
This young man has a bright future, and thanks to his efforts, so does Nathaniel Rai.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats desperately try to stop it.
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