Feel Good: Lifeguard Pulls Child To Safety
A teenage lifeguard made a dramatic rescue at a Santa Cruz beach after a child was swept into powerful, tsunami-like waves.
Ryder, a 16-year-old high school student, dove into the dangerous surf and battled relentless swells to bring the approximately 10-year-old boy safely to shore. A witness who filmed the rescue, said it “caught a lot of people off-guard,” adding the child was “overwhelmed and swept out in just a moment’s time.”
The child was reunited with his family and evaluated by paramedics. Ryder’s mother declined GoFundMe requests, saying her son “was just doing the job that he absolutely loves,” instead directing supporters to donate to Santa Cruz County Parks Department’s Junior Guards program.