The father of the 10-year-old boy who was saved by lifeguard Ryder Williams in Santa Cruz says his son was seconds from dying.
Sumit Rai says his son, Nathaniel, lost consciousness during the incident & says his daughter is traumatized after witnessing what happened.
"Ryder's… pic.twitter.com/8K7fEXmnLr
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 30, 2026
The father of the 10-year-old boy who was saved by lifeguard Ryder Williams in Santa Cruz says his son was seconds from dying.
Sumit Rai says his son, Nathaniel, lost consciousness during the incident & says his daughter is traumatized after witnessing what happened.
“Ryder’s only 16 years old himself. He’s a teenager and for him to take that kind of leadership and go out and have that type of courage and bravery to go out and save someone else’s life is remarkable, and I cannot thank him enough,” Rai said.
“We got lucky that he didn’t die, but this outcome could’ve been very different. I am incredibly and extraordinarily grateful to the lifeguard. He’s the only reason that my son is alive.”
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