Indian-American father shares how lifeguard snatched son from deadly California surf

Sumit Rai has described how a teenage lifeguard pulled his 10-year-old son Nathaniel from rough surf at Seabright Beach in California.Indian-American father shares how lifeguard snatched son from deadly California surf (Photos: ABC7News and Scott Vander Dussen) The Indian-American father of a 10-year-old boy who was rescued from the ocean by a teenage lifeguard in California has shared details of the terrifying ordeal, saying his son lost consciousness in the water and narrowly escaped death.Speaking to ABC7News, Sumit Rai said he believes only seconds separated his son, Nathaniel, from a fatal outcome."Another two or three seconds, I don't think my son would have made it," Rai said.Rai was shocked to receive a phone call on the night of July 25 informing him that Nathaniel, who had been holidaying in California with his mother and eight-year-old sister, had been caught in a drowning incident earlier that day. Describing what happened, Rai said Nathaniel realised he was drowning before losing consciousness in the water."From what I gathered, he assumed he was going to die. He was drowning. He knew he was drowning. He blacked out. He went unconscious. When he came out of the water, he was clearly limp. It doesn't look like he was breathing," Rai told ABC7News. He credited the swift response of 16-year-old Santa Cruz lifeguard Ryder Williams, fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen and others at the beach with saving his son's life."We're just lucky. Fortunate, because of Ryder and those people that helped, that he actually survived this," Rai said.Nathaniel was swept into rough surf by powerful waves at Seabright Beach, prompting a dramatic rescue that lasted about two minutes. As horrified onlookers watched, Ryder Williams plunged into the water, battled the crashing waves and brought the 10-year-old safely back to shore.The rescue was captured by Scott Vander Dussen, whose footage later went viral on social media.Speaking about the dramatic incident with ABC7News, Vander Dussen said the presence of trained lifeguards proved crucial."If the lifeguards weren't there, it would've had a different ending," he said.Rai also expressed heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in the rescue, saying no words could adequately convey what they had done for his family."God bless them and, you know, thank you. I cannot express sufficient gratitude. There's nothing more valuable to me than my children. And so to save one of them and their lives, especially at such a young tender age, you know, which is such a premature way to lose someone. I can't thank them enough," Rai said.Meanwhile, Nathaniel remains in California as he continues recovering from the traumatic experience.Looking back at the viral rescue video, Rai said he still struggles to watch it without thinking about how close his son came to dying."If I was watching that video, I wasn't sure if he'll make it if I hadn't seen the end of it. And I wasn't sure, honestly, if the lifeguard would make it out with those conditions. I'm just so grateful that Ryder and others were there to help pull him out and save his life. Otherwise, I can't imagine what life would look like today," Sumit Rai said.The heroic rescue has made headlines as Ryder Williams received praise from across the United States. President Donald Trump has also invited the teenage lifeguard to the White House to present him with a civilian honour.- EndsPublished On: Jul 31, 2026 08:45 IST