A 16-year-old lifeguard whose daring rescue of a 10-year-old on Saturday went viral finally spoke out about the harrowing save in a Wednesday statement. Ryder Williams, the teen hero whose daring rescue of a young boy at Santa Cruz Beach on Saturday captivated the nation, described the episode in a statement released by his employer, California State Parks.

The Rescue

Williams said he was at the waterline 15 yards downcoast of Tower 2 making a safety contact when he looked up and saw a child about 20 yards up from the tower lose his footing in ankle-deep water. He radioed it in, threw his radio and sunglasses at the base of his tower as he ran toward the kid. Williams put his fins on his wrist, popped his buoy, and entered the water to get ahold of the child.

Due to the volatility of the water, Williams was unable to tube up the victim. After the first wave, he was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard. There were two to three more waves before lifeguard Aaron Bohnen entered the water to help Williams. There were bystanders who jumped in to try to help, and Williams yelled at them all to get back to shore.

Once Bohnen and Williams got the kid to shore, Williams was instructed to get the med bag from Bohnen’s unit, and they assessed the child. Shortly after, Williams got back into his tower where he returned to provide lifeguard services for the rest of his shift.

Reaction and Recognition

Williams’ heroics earned him national attention, praise, and even an invitation to the White House. The 10-year-old boy Williams rescued was identified by KTVU as being named Nathaniel. His father, Sumit Rai, praised Williams’ efforts in an interview with KTVU.

Rai said it was a remarkable effort to bring his son back to shore, and he was grateful for Williams’ bravery. Williams’ rescue was one of 34 rescues in the Santa Cruz district over the weekend, according to California State Parks.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.