Trump says he wants to honor California lifeguard who rescued boy from pounding surf

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A lifeguard who dove into pounding surf to save a boy in a dramatic rescue off the California coast has caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who said Tuesday that he would invite him to the White House.

The lifeguard, who has not been identified, is being hailed as a hero after he risked his life last weekend to save the boy, who was being pulled into the ocean by powerful swells that suddenly came ashore at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, about 60 miles (about 100 kilometers) down the coast from San Francisco.

“We’re going to bring this heroic young man, and his family, into the White House with, perhaps, the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honor. Very brave, he deserves it!” Trump wrote on social media.

California State Parks, which employs the lifeguards at that beach, said the lifeguard saw the child get knocked down by a wave Saturday afternoon. The boy was swept about 15 yards (13.7 meters) into the ocean before the lifeguard made contact with him, the agency said.

“Our State Park lifeguards courageously risk their own lives every day to keep our visitors safe. Their dedication never goes unnoticed and they are truly heroes to their local communities, Californians and the nation,” the agency said, adding that Santa Cruz District lifeguards rescued 34 people over the weekend from powerful swells.

The names and ages of the lifeguard and boy have not been released.

A witness, Scott Vander Dussen, captured video of the rescue.

“The waves, I wouldn’t say they were tranquil, but they were what you’d expect, a normal cadence and intensity,” Vander Dussen told KNTV-TV. “And then that just changed in a heartbeat. It caught a lot of people off guard. Unfortunately, this young man was overwhelmed and swept out in just a moment’s time. I’m glad it ended the way it did.”

In the video, the lifeguard can be seen rushing into the water after seeing the boy struggle. After reaching the boy, the young lifeguard dove into a coming wave while holding tight to the boy, who was going limp.

The lifeguard was struggling to bring the boy ashore, and several adults jumped into the water to help but then retreated after being knocked back by the large swells.

Eventually, the lifeguard and one of his colleagues managed to get the child safely out of the water. The boy had no serious injuries, and after an medical evaluation he was released to his parents, the California State Parks said in an emailed statement.

Hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve in the Pacific Ocean have sent dangerous surf conditions to California’s coast, according to the National Weather Service, which said Tuesday that a risk remained of sneaker waves, strong rip currents and breaking waves reaching up to 10 feet (3 meters) along some south- and southwest-facing beaches.

The weather service first issued a beach hazard warning for the coast from Point Reyes National Seashore, north of San Francisco, to Monterey Bay, where Santa Cruz is located, on July 24. It has extended it to Aug. 1.

Earlier this year a group of surfers in Santa Cruz swam toward a capsized boat and pulled six injured people onto their boards until emergency crews arrived.

They were catching large waves Feb. 6 at Steamer Lane, a famous point along California’s Central Coast, when a small motor boat barreled by and collided with a wave, throwing two adults and four children into the water. Several of the passengers were not wearing life jackets, according to an incident report from the Santa Cruz Fire Department.