Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old rookie lifeguard, carried out a rip current beach rescue at Seabright State Beach on July 25 after he saw a 10-year-old child get knocked off his feet in ankle-deep water. He called the incident over the radio, dropped his radio and sunglasses, and sprinted in as strong currents and waves made the water too volatile for a simple pullout.
Williams said, "Due to the volatility of the water, I was unable to tube up the victim" and later added, "After the first wave I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard." California State Parks said the surf advisory covered the Santa Cruz County coastline as waves reached 10 feet.
Ryder Williams and Aaron Bohnen
Williams inflated his buoy and wrapped the child in a bearhug, but he still had to duck under two or three more waves before Aaron Bohnen entered the water to help. Williams said the rescue got harder when bystanders jumped in, and he had to order them back to shore. He and Bohnen then got the child safely to shore.
Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz
Once the child reached land, Williams was told to get the medical bag from Bohnen's unit. The child was assessed and returned to his family. Williams then went back to his tower to finish the shift, while Micah Moore said rescues like this are common at Seabright State Beach.
California State Parks
California State Parks said lifeguards made 34 rescues and more than 5,000 preventative contacts in the Santa Cruz district on July 25-26. Since July 1, the agency said its lifeguards have carried out 110,000 preventative actions, 3,600 rescues, and over 1,600 medical aids, with about 600 seasonal lifeguards and 70 permanently staffed lifeguards working each summer. Williams said, "I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely" and, "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."
