A 16-year-old lifeguard praised by President Trump for plunging into dangerous surf to save a 10-year-old boy at a Santa Cruz beach made several more rescues during the same shift, according to his proud family.
Relatives of Ryder Williams said they are working to keep the modest teenager grounded as national attention builds around Saturday’s dramatic rescue. They told The California Post that Ryder was already back on duty at his lifeguard station by Tuesday.
“He just wants to be a kid and work hard this summer and serve and protect his community,” his father, Shane Williams, said. “I’m really proud of him. He’s an amazing kid.”
The rescue of the 10-year-old, captured in a video that quickly spread online and drew notice from Trump, was only part of Ryder’s extraordinary day on the water.
“He had two rescues afterwards on the same day that were more gnarly,” Ryder’s grandfather, George Williams, told The Post.
All told, Ryder was involved in five rescues over the course of his Saturday lifeguard shift, his grandfather said.
“He’s doing great. We’re so overwhelmed,” added Shane Williams, a 54-year-old retired firefighter. “I’m trying to shelter him. I still see him as a little boy.”
The frightening scene began Saturday at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, where heavy surf pulled the 10-year-old swimmer into rough, swirling water.
As horrified beachgoers watched from shore, Ryder plunged into the water and battled the unrelenting waves to reach the boy before bringing him safely back to shore.
The family’s remarkable weekend took another unexpected turn Tuesday when Trump announced that Ryder would receive a “high civilian honor” for his bravery.
“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. Very brave, he deserves it!” Trump wrote on social media.
His father said the family is still trying to process the surprise announcement.
“We just heard about that so I haven’t even processed it,” Shane Williams said.
Asked whether they would travel to Washington DC, he replied: “I’m not sure.”
“No one from the White House has reached out yet,” he added.
Despite suddenly becoming the focus of national attention, Williams said his son is eager to return to normal life.
Ryder, who’s going to be a high school junior, is an only child and is already back on duty at the beach.
Shane Williams said his son has talked about following in his father’s footsteps.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
“He’s still young but he’s thinking he wants to get into the fire service eventually,” he said. “We’re taking it step by step. We’re just trying to regroup and make sure he’s okay.”
The rescue left Ryder with only minor injuries.
“He had some road rash on his forehead from holding on the kid,” Williams said. “He hit the sand and scraped across it but he’s fine.”
The emotional toll of the incident became clear when Ryder returned home after the rescue
“He told me when he got home, he said, ‘Dad, I wasn’t going to let go of that kid because I knew if I let go of him he was going to drown and I wasn’t going to let that happen,’ and it brought a tear to my eye when he said that,” his father recalled. “It was pretty amazing.”
Shane Williams said his son’s actions reflected the kind and caring person Ryder has always been.
“He just wants to give back to his community because he grew up here,” he said.
Ryder’s grandfather said the teen has downplayed the attention surrounding his actions.
“It was all in a day’s work,” George said Ryder told the family. “He said, ‘This is what I do.’”
“He’s a great kid,” George added. “We love him to pieces.”
