Ten-year-old Nathaniel Rai had already decided the ocean looked too dangerous.

Standing near the shoreline at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, California, on July 25, the fourth grader was uneasy about the unusually large waves. He even asked an adult if he could stay out of the water. Instead of swimming, Nathaniel remained close to shore.

Then he lost his footing.

Nathaniel later recalled that he tripped and was suddenly pulled into the ocean. The waves were unlike anything he had experienced before, and as he struggled in the rough surf, fear quickly turned into the belief that he might not make it back.

Help came from 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams, who was stationed near Tower 2 when he saw the child lose his footing in ankle-deep water. Williams radioed for assistance, sprinted toward Nathaniel and entered the surf.

By the time the teenager reached him, the rescue had become even more serious. Nathaniel went limp in Williams’ arms.

The powerful current made it impossible for Williams to simply carry the boy back to shore. Instead, his immediate goal became keeping Nathaniel’s head above the surface while holding his position until another rescuer could reach them. Fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen eventually joined the effort and helped bring Nathaniel out of the water.

Nathaniel’s father, Sumit Rai, later described just how narrow the margin had been. He said the current could have carried his son much farther offshore within moments, potentially putting him beyond rescuers’ reach.

He also emphasized the physical difficulty Williams faced. Nathaniel weighed about 100 pounds and had become unconscious, leaving the teenage lifeguard to hold his full weight while being battered by the surf.

The rescue did not depend on Williams alone. Bohnen assisted in the water, while roughly 10 beachgoers also rushed in to help. Sumit credited the combined response with getting his son safely back to shore and keeping him alive.

Once Nathaniel was out of the water, lifeguards used medical equipment to treat him before paramedics evaluated him. California State Parks said he escaped the incident without serious injuries.

Williams later returned to duty and continued carrying out rescues that same day.

For Nathaniel, however, the experience remained frightening even after he was safely home. Speaking publicly days later, he said that before Williams reached him, he believed he was going to die. The size and force of the waves had been completely unfamiliar to him; he said he had previously seen surf like that only online.

Nathaniel and his father eventually met Williams after the rescue. Their reunion brought a much lighter discovery: Nathaniel learned that the teenager who had helped save his life shared his and his father’s interest in UFC.

Williams, meanwhile, resisted presenting himself as the only hero of the story. He expressed gratitude for the successful outcome and acknowledged the other lifeguards who carry out similar rescues as part of their work.

For Sumit Rai, the meaning of what happened was simpler and far more personal. His son was still beside him because a teenage lifeguard noticed a child in trouble, reacted immediately and refused to let go while help was on the way.