(This story has been updated to provide additional details.)
A teenager who saved a boy from drowning at a Santa Cruz beach last month met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Aug. 17.
Ryder Williams, 16, was joined by his family, several other California State Parks lifeguards, and the boy whose life he saved, Nathaniel Ray.
President Donald Trump previously said in a July 28 social media post that he would honor the 16-year-old lifeguard who saved a boy from drowning in California on July 25.
Williams sat next to the president's right in the Oval Office, while Ray sat to his left on a couch, joined by his family, as shown in a video on the White House's official YouTube page.
"What you did was incredible, and everybody saw it," said
the president to the Santa Cruz teen.
Teenager saves boy at Santa Cruz beach
The rescue at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, about 72 miles from San Francisco, was captured on video and was widely circulated on social media. Footage shows the lifeguard holding onto the boy even as the two repeatedly get battered by waves that keep pulling them back into the surf. The teenager was also shown struggling to rescue the 10-year-old.
Bystanders were also seen attempting to help the two as they kept getting sucked back into the water. Eventually, the lifeguard was able to pull the boy safely to shore.
The rescue deserves the country's highest honor, Trump said on Tuesday, July 28.
What is a high civilian honor?
A high civilian honor is a prestigious non-military award that the government gives to recognize individuals for their exceptional lifetime achievements, cultural contributions or exemplary service to society. It's unclear what high civilian honor Trump might bestow upon the lifeguard, but here are the possibilities:
- Presidential Medal of Freedom: Bestowed by the president, it is the U.S. government's highest civilian honor, often "presented to individuals to recognize a lifetime of significant achievements in the arts, public service, science, or other fields," according to Congress. gov.
- Congressional Gold Medal: Like the Medal of Freedom, it is also considered the highest civilian honor; however, it is bestowed by the U.S. Congress to "express public gratitude for distinguished contributions, highlight the virtues of patriotism, and perpetuate the remembrance of great events"
- Presidential Citizens Medal: Created by former President Richard M. Nixon in 1969, the medal is considered the second-highest civilian award, and it recognizes "citizens of the United States of America who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens."
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California teen welcomed to White House after save on Santa Cruz beach
