WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday met 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams and 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai at the White House, praising Williams for rescuing the boy from dangerous surf off the California coast.
Williams and Rai were honoured at a ceremony attended by their families, days after Trump announced that he would invite them to Washington to recognise their bravery.
“What you did was incredible, and everybody saw it,” Trump told the two, referring to a video of the July rescue in Santa Cruz that went viral. “When I first saw it, I said, ‘Roll that back, I want to see that again.’”
Williams said his training helped him respond quickly during the emergency.
“In those dangerous moments that we have, we always try to fall back on our training,” he said, recalling how he focused on getting Nathaniel out of the water as quickly as possible.
Nathaniel sat beside his father and sister as Trump recounted the rescue and praised the 10-year-old for remaining composed during the ordeal.
“Your father is the happiest man in the world,” Trump told Nathaniel, adding that the boy deserved recognition for the way he handled the emergency.
Trump later invited Williams and Nathaniel to visit the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House. When Williams said he hoped to become a firefighter, Trump suggested that the teenager could receive strong recommendations for the career.
“He’s a real hero,” Trump said of Williams. “I don’t know if I’d do it. I wouldn’t probably. You’re lucky I wasn’t on the service that day.”
Trump had previously shared footage of the rescue on Truth Social and called for the two boys to be honoured after the video attracted widespread attention online.
During Monday’s ceremony, he also praised Williams for displaying “tremendous grace” while carrying out 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.”
The rescue video has been viewed millions of times worldwide. The footage shows Williams holding onto Nathaniel as powerful waves repeatedly crash over them. At one point, both disappear beneath the water for several seconds before resurfacing, with Williams continuing to pull the boy towards the shore.
