Nathanial Rai recalls being swept into dangerous surf before 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams pulled him to safety
NEED TO KNOW
- Nathaniel Rai, the 10-year-old boy who was swept into the ocean by powerful waves, says he thought he wouldn’t survive the ordeal
- Teen lifeguard Ryder Williams and others performed a dramatic rescue, keeping Nathaniel’s head above water until help arrived
- Nathaniel’s father praised the lifeguards and beachgoers, calling their efforts a heroic feat that saved his son’s life
Nathaniel Rai believed he wasn’t going to survive after powerful waves swept him into the ocean during a terrifying incident that was caught on camera.
“Before the lifeguard came, I thought I was going to die,” the 10-year-old said during an appearance on CBS Mornings on Tuesday, Aug. 4, recalling the frightening moments before 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams reached him in the water.
The California boy, who was rescued from rough surf at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz on July 25, spoke publicly for the first time alongside his father, Sumit Rai, after video of Williams’ dramatic rescue spread across social media.
Asked what he remembered from the ordeal, Nathaniel explained that he had never experienced waves that powerful before — and had seen surf that large “only on, like, the internet.”
Credit: CBS Mornings; credit santacruznow/instagram
The fourth grader shared a new detail about the moments leading up to the rescue, saying he had already grown uneasy about the conditions before he was swept into the water, even asking an adult if he could leave because he was afraid.
“She told me I could swim in the water, and I told her I didn’t want to because the waves were too big,” Nathaniel recalled. “So I just stayed on the shore.”
He remained at the water’s edge until he lost his footing. “I tripped and then I got pulled,” he said.
Nathaniel’s father said those few moments quickly turned life-threatening. “First, I want to express my gratitude to him for saving Nathaniel’s life,” Sumit Rai said of Williams. “Had it not been for Ryder, Nathaniel wouldn’t be sitting here next to me today.”
Sumit went on to say the dangerous rip currents could have dragged his son even farther offshore within seconds, making a rescue nearly impossible. “He was a second or two away from dying,” Sumit said. “With those rip currents, you’ll get thrown 15 or 20 feet away deeper into the sea, at which point you can’t see him, let alone retrieve or rescue him.”
The father also described the enormous physical challenge Williams faced while trying to keep hold of his son amid the crashing waves.
“Ryder was holding onto him and Ryder knew if he let go, Nathanial was going to drown,” Sumit said. “The resilience that he showed to hold him through those rip currents, that water pressure, those torrential waves — to be able to withstand that.”
Credit: CBS Mornings
According to Sumit, Nathaniel had already become unconscious by that point. “He had gone limp. He wasn’t breathing. He was basically dead weight, and he’s 100 pounds,” Sumit explained. “So it was an incredible physical feat, not just a mental feat and a feat of bravery. [Ryder] just did everything he was supposed to do to save his life and put his life at risk to do so. I’m forever grateful to him.”
Since the rescue, Nathaniel has had the chance to meet Williams in person — and discovered the two have something in common. “He likes the same things as me and my dad, like UFC,” Nathaniel said with a smile.
He added that Williams told him “he’s glad he saved my life” and was thankful for “all the other lifeguards who saved lives too.”
Credit: TMX
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Sumit echoed that sentiment, noting that Williams wasn’t alone in the rescue effort. While he credited the teenage lifeguard with taking charge of the emergency, he also thanked fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen and the group of beachgoers who rushed into the water to help.
“Ryder obviously showed leadership in that effort and being the first one to respond and leading that rescue,” Rai said. “Aaron, the other lifeguard, also jumped in to help pull them out because the current is so strong. And then you had 10 Good Samaritans that jumped in to try to help.”
“I appreciate each and every one of them incredibly because it took that incredible effort to bring him out and keep him alive,” the father continued. “I’m just so grateful to have my son with me. I can’t imagine what life would look like if Ryder had not been there.”
The interview comes just days after Williams reflected on the rescue himself in a video and statement shared by California State Parks in honor of International Lifeguard Appreciation Day.
Williams, 16, said he had been stationed near Seabright State Beach’s Tower 2 when he spotted Nathanial struggling in the surf. “I saw a child about 20 yards up from the tower lose his footing in ankle-deep water,” Williams wrote in the post’s caption.
After radioing for help, he sprinted toward the boy, entered the water and quickly realized the conditions were even more dangerous than they appeared. “As I grab the child, he goes limp, so I’m thinking about if he’s unconscious or not, that I really need to go in,” Williams recalled.
Unable to pull Nathanial to shore by himself because of the force of the waves, Williams said his focus became keeping the boy’s head above water until help arrived. “The whole time I was thinking, ‘I just need to hold my position until my partner can get here because I’m not going to be able to get him out on my own,’ “ he said.
Bohnen soon reached the pair and helped bring Nathanial safely back to shore, where they treated him with a medical kit before paramedics evaluated him. California State Parks previously said the boy did not suffer any serious injuries.
Williams later returned to work and continued performing rescues that same day. Reflecting on the experience, the teen said he was glad the outcome was a happy one.
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,” Williams wrote. “This is my job and I love what I do. I’m thankful to my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues just like this every day.”
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