Trump praises 'good genes' of 16-year-old lifeguard hero in Oval Office as his proud mother looks on

By CHARLIE SPIERING, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 22:05, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 22:06, 17 August 2026 President Trump welcomed teenage lifeguard Ryder Williams and a 10-year-old boy that he saved to the White House on Monday to honor the dramatic rescue on a California beach. 'He's a real hero,' Trump said to 16-year-old Williams who sat next to the president in the Oval Office. 'What you did was incredible and everybody saw it,' he added. 'It's unbelievable.' Williams was filmed by a bystander last month rescuing Nathaniel Rai from the raging surf at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California. Rai, who was vacationing with his family from Dallas, was in ankle deep water when he lost his footing and was swept by the waves out into the ocean. Footage from the scene showed Williams struggling mightily with the waves, his arms wrapped around the boy as waves crashed on both of them and he pulled them to safety. Trump said he was amazed by the video of the rescue and wanted to honor the young man for his heroism. President Donald Trump welcomed lifeguard Ryder Williams to the Oval Office to honor him for his daring rescue of a 10-year-old boy Nathaniel Rai listens as President Donald Trump talks to lifeguard Ryder Williams about the man who saved his life  President Trump speaks to Ryder Williams as members from his lifeguard training team and his mother looks on 'It's not my world but I respect that world, I always have, but never maybe as much as I do now,' Trump said. The president also gave a special shoutout to Williams' mother, Shannon, who was standing off to the side. 'You did a good job, it's good genetics, when you look at him, you can see,' he said.  Trump also praised Rai for remaining calm during the rescue, allowing William to rescue him. 'You were very cool,' he said to the boy who sat with his father and his sister. 'Your father is the happiest man in the world,' Trump added to Rai's father, Sumit. 'It's incredible what Ryder did, I'm just beyond grateful to him, and Aaron and the rest of the team and even the good Samaritans that were there,' he said. Nathaniel Rai, a child saved by 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, last month, sits with his father and sister at the Oval Office Williams is seen holding on to ten-year-old Nathaniel Rai amid the strong waves Fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen helped with the rescue after the boys move closer to the shore 'He's a real hero,' Trump agreed, and joked. 'I don't know if I'd do it, I wouldn't, probably, you're lucky I wasn't on service that day.' Williams said he wanted to pursue a career as a firefighter, thanking everyone on his team for training him to act quickly in times of danger. 'He's off to a good start, we'll give him recommendations,' Trump grinned.