16-Year-Old Lifeguard Pulls Drowning Boy From Deadly California Surf — Trump Invites Hero to the White House
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On Sunday at Seabright State Beach in California, a 16-year-old lifeguard saved a ten-year-old boy who was nearly swept out to sea by powerful waves and a strong current. The child had gone into the water despite storm warnings and quickly found himself trapped — rescuers say the situation came within a hair of tragedy.
Footage captured by a bystander shows the boy crying out for help as he was pulled under by the churning water. The young lifeguard raced in after him, but soon found himself fighting the same brutal conditions just to reach the drowning child.
Even once he managed to grab hold of the boy, the waves kept ruthlessly dragging them both back out to sea. Other beachgoers rushed in to help, but even that wasn't enough to bring the rescue to a safe end.
The tide only turned once a second lifeguard arrived to back up his colleague, who had been struggling the whole time to keep the exhausted boy's head above water. Once on shore, rescuers examined the child and found no serious injuries before handing him back to his parents.
Witnesses say that without the lifeguards' swift response — and especially the actions of that 16-year-old — the boy might not have survived. "The whole beach was packed with people. Everyone cheered when he came out of the water. It was a matter of just a couple of seconds — things could have ended very differently," the man who filmed the rescue, Vander Dussen, told the TV channel KRON4.
US President Donald Trump shared the footage of the dramatic rescue on his Truth Social page. He announced that he would invite the brave lifeguard, along with his family and the rescued boy, to the White House, and said he intends to present the young hero with a "high civilian honor," though he has yet to specify which one. "Very brave act. He deserves a reward!" Trump wrote.
Read also: 8 best swimming spots near Prague: lakes, quarries and beaches within an hour of the city
Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz
