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The father of a 10-year-old boy rescued from heavy surf off the California coast in a dramatic scene caught on video says he is immensely grateful to the teenage lifeguard who saved his son.
“He went into that water despite those deadly conditions. There are 10-foot (3-meter) waves; there are rip currents and undertows coming in,” Sumit Rai told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “It’s dangerous to go in there, so he is risking his own safety.”
Nathaniel, Rai's son, was standing in shallow water when he lost his balance and was swept into the ocean on Saturday at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) down the coast from San Francisco. Rai, who was in his home city of Dallas, said he learned of what happened when he spoke with his children on the phone that evening.
“My son told me he drowned and lost consciousness,” he recounted. “He was very out of it, still in shock.”
By the next morning, Rai had already seen the video of the rescue.
Ryder Williams, 16, the lifeguard who rescued Nathaniel, said he saw the boy lose his balance in ankle-deep water. He radioed for backup and then ran toward Nathaniel.
“After the first wave, I couldn’t pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing with a lot of force,” he noted in a statement.
California State Parks, which employs the lifeguards at that beach, indicated that the boy was dragged about 15 yards (13.7 meters) out to sea before the lifeguard managed to reach him.
In the video, Williams can be seen diving into an incoming wave while holding onto the boy tightly.
Another lifeguard jumped in to help, along with some bystanders, whom Williams asked to return to shore.
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the boy to his family safe and sound,” he said. “This is my job and I love what I do. I am grateful to my fellow lifeguards, who perform rescues like this every day.”
The boy did not suffer serious injuries and, after a medical evaluation, was released to his family, the parks service reported in a statement.
Rai commented that his son told him he got sand in his lungs and was coughing it up after reaching the shore. Now his son, who will return from California in a few days, is dealing with the psychological effects of what happened.
“He’s still been thinking about it a lot. It’s on his mind,” he said. “It bothers him when he’s sleeping. So, obviously, it’s traumatic.”
Rai has been in contact with Williams and said he hopes to be able to thank him directly.
“What he did, I can never, ever repay,” he stated. “I will be grateful to him forever.”
[Publicidad]