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An 11-year-old boy who nearly drowned off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, is celebrating his birthday after a teenage lifeguard saved his life.
Speaking on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday, Nathaniel Rai and his father, Sumit, discussed the rescue and their visit to the White House to meet President Donald Trump.
“Nathaniel was two seconds away from dying. I mean, if he got swept out for two more seconds, he’d be 15, 20 feet deeper into the water. And at that point, you can barely see him, let alone retrieve or rescue him,” Sumit said about watching the video of his son’s rescue. “He was near death. He was already unconscious, from what I’m told, limp, not breathing.”
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Sumit, who was in Dallas at the time, said he first learned how serious the situation was when he saw the video on the news later that night. Video of the rescue went viral after 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams jumped into the water to save Rai. With the help of fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen, Williams brought Rai to safety.
Nathaniel described the moment the waves hit him and began pulling him out to sea, calling it “scary.” “The waves kept crashing on me and I like passed out,” he said.
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Nathaniel’s father thanked Williams for saving his son’s life, allowing the family to celebrate Nathaniel’s 11th birthday this week.
“The heroism he showed and the courage to go into those torrential waters, which were deadly, and then go in there, risk his own life, his own safety, to bring Nathaniel out so that I’m able to celebrate his birthday with him today and have him sit beside me. I’m just ever so grateful,” Sumit said.
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Nathaniel, his father and Williams visited the White House Monday to speak with Trump, who said lifeguards don’t always get the recognition they deserve.
“They’re [going to] look up to Ryder. They’re [going to] look up to Nathaniel, the way Nathaniel handled it,” Trump said. “I think, you know, very importantly, they’re going to gain respect for what these people do, having to do with lifeguards and having to do with safety. This was an unbelievable experience.”
Nathaniel said his favorite part of the Oval Office visit was when they sang “Happy Birthday” to him, and his father described the experience as “incredible.”
“It was such a privilege and honor. The president was very gracious in inviting us in, and I was so happy that he was honoring Ryder. It’s so well-deserved, that recognition for what he did,” Sumit said.
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