SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KGO) — A 16-year-old lifeguard heroically saved a young boy from the menacing waves at a Santa Cruz beach last Saturday, a brave act that has caught the attention of the White House.
In a post shared on X this Tuesday, President Donald Trump revealed plans to invite the teenager and his family to the White House, where he intends to bestow upon him a “High Civilian Honor.”
The daring rescue unfolded at Seabright State Beach, not far from the iconic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Witness Scott Vander Dussen captured the riveting moment on video, describing how a lifeguard sprinted into the choppy water to rescue the boy.
“I saw the lifeguard just run straight out into the water, and, you know, he dove in, setting fear aside,” Vander Dussen recounted with admiration.
Vander Dussen’s video documents the lifeguard’s courageous battle against the surging waves as he worked tirelessly to secure the boy’s safety, noting how the conditions seemed to change unexpectedly.
“And I think in this situation, the young man was already out there. I don’t think he was bargaining for this. It looked like those waves changed quickly, and he just got overpowered and swept out,” he said.
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At one point, beachgoers attempted to assist but were also hit hard by the waves.
Officials with California State Parks released a statement Tuesday providing more details on what happened.
In the statement, they said a California State Parks lifeguard saw the boy lose his balance and get knocked down by a wave. The child was swept approximately 15 yards offshore.
One lifeguard made contact with the boy until another entered the water to assist.
Vander Dussen described the lifeguard’s efforts to keep the boy from being pulled back into the water.
“The lifeguard just had a gorilla grip on that young man, held him from getting swept back out,” he said.
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The rescue was one of at least 34 reported over the weekend in Santa Cruz County as massive swells pounded the shoreline. In this case, a second lifeguard helped bring the boy safely onto the beach.
“They were trying to help, but then ultimately another lifeguard was able to assist, and I think the two of them did the lion’s share of the work,” Vander Dussen said.
All involved made it safely to shore. Vander Dussen said the outcome could have been much different without the lifeguards’ actions.
“If the lifeguards were not out there, it would have had a different ending. He was in desperate need of help, and those two lifeguards went in and did what needed to be done,” he said.
The video above is from a previous report.
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