President Donald Trump said this week that he will honor the 16-year-old lifeguard who saved a boy from drowning in California over the weekend. The rescue at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, about 72 miles from San Francisco, was captured on video and has been widely circulated on social media.

Footage shows the lifeguard holding onto the boy even as the two repeatedly get battered by waves that keep pulling them back into the surf. The teenager was also shown struggling to rescue the 10-year-old. Bystanders were also seen attempting to help the two as they kept getting sucked back into the water.

Rescue Details

Eventually, the lifeguard was able to pull the boy safely to shore. The rescue deserves the country’s highest honor, Trump said on Tuesday, July 28. Scott Vander Dussen, a local photographer, told KTVU that the ocean conditions were calm before the rescue.

When the wave crashed, it left a white foam, and I could see a black dot, which was his head getting pulled out, he said, describing the child in the water. Vander Dussen said it was the most intense rescue he has ever witnessed, adding that he wants the footage to serve as a warning to people about ocean safety.

This video right here is an opportunity to showcase just how quickly things can turn, how incredibly brave and selfless the lifeguard team is, Dussen said. The White House did not provide additional details about the visit when contacted by USA TODAY on July 28.

What did President Trump say? We’re going to bring this heroic young man, and his family, into the White House with, perhaps, the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honor, Trump said July 28 on X. Very brave, he deserves it!

Original reporting: Las Cruces Sun News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.