Ryder Williams is 16 and nearly died saving a drowning 10-year-old, refusing to let go as 10-foot waves swallowed them both. When strangers started a GoFundMe for him, his mom shut it down. She told them to donate to the lifeguard program that taught him how to save a life.
The 16-year-old is Ryder Williams, a rookie California State Parks lifeguard who went down under 10-foot Santa Cruz surf with a drowning boy and refused to let go, surfacing again and again still gripping him until he got him to shore. President Trump is now bringing Ryder and his family to the White House for what he's calling a "High Civilian Honor."
Ryder is a first-season California State Parks seasonal lifeguard who trained through the Santa Cruz County Junior Guards program before he was old enough to serve. He is 16, the minimum age the state allows.
It happened Saturday around 3:32 p.m. at Seabright State Beach, near Mott Avenue and East Cliff Drive. A 10-year-old boy was knocked down by a wave and swept about 15 yards offshore into an 8-to-10-foot shorebreak driven by long-period swell from Hurricane Genevieve.
"It caught a lot of people off-guard," said Scott Vander Dussen, who filmed the rescue. "Unfortunately, this young man was overwhelmed and swept out in just a moment's time." Conditions turned, he said, in a heartbeat.
Ryder locked onto the boy with what one witness called a "gorilla grip," ducked under set after set, and gulped air between breakers for about two minutes. Multiple beachgoers tried to help and were quickly overwhelmed by the surf themselves. A second lifeguard helped finish the extraction. The boy was exhausted but unharmed, evaluated by paramedics, and reunited with his mother. Ryder went back on duty that same evening and worked another shift the next day.
California State Parks' Santa Cruz District performed 34 rescues across the weekend as the swell battered the coast.
Eric Trump reposted the video first, writing, "Give this 16-year-old lifeguard the highest civilian honor. This is truly the best of America! Well done!" President Trump followed by announcing he is bringing Ryder and his family to the White House for a "High Civilian Honor."
When supporters asked about a GoFundMe, Ryder's mother turned it down and pointed them to the Junior Guards program instead. "Honestly he was just doing the job that he absolutely loves," she said, adding that she believes lifeguards should be recognized as first responders for the conditions they face along the Santa Cruz coastline.
Hawley to Fauci: "I think I know why you're doing it. It's because you don't want to answer questions. It's because you did all kinds of terrible things. It's because during the pandemic you got rich, didn't you? You got rich while hundreds of thousands of Americans were dying."
Today I finally understood something about Donald Trump that I had been missing this entire time. And when it hit me — it hit me completely. Because, look at who this man chose to surround himself with.
Not billionaires.
Not people born into power.
Not people who had everything handed to them.
Karoline Leavitt — 27 years old. Ice cream shop girl from New Hampshire.
Trump looked at her and saw something the entire world missed.
Made her the youngest Press Secretary in American history.
Susie Wiles — a woman who has spent her whole life quietly strategizing from the background.
No fame. No spotlight. Just pure brilliance.
Trump looked at her and said — you will be my Chief of Staff. First female Chief of Staff in American history.
JD Vance — a soldier. A boy from Appalachia who served his country in uniform before he ever served it in office.
Trump looked at him and said — you will stand beside me.
Pete Hegseth — a soldier who gave everything on the battlefield. Two Bronze Stars.
Trump looked at him and said — you will lead our military.
Marco Rubio — the son of a bartender and a hotel maid. Two immigrants who came to America with nothing.
Trump looked at their son and made him the first Latino Secretary of State in American history.
My wife heard all of this tonight and said, "Do you understand what Trump actually did?
He did not build a powerful administration.
He built an unbreakable one."
Because every single person in it knows what it feels like to have nothing. And people who came from nothing never take anything for granted.
Tonight, say one prayer for this entire administration. And say a bigger one for the man who chose them.
Then pass this to every American who needs to understand why this administration hits different from every single one that came before it (Jeff Roush)
🚨 NOW: Karoline Leavitt has just walked out to begin her FIRST press briefing since going on maternity leave in April
Right off the bat, Leavitt confirmed President Trump's primetime address tonight will be on "protecting the integrity of our elections"
Welcome back, @PressSec!
Trump's motorcade just got escorted by actual Rough Riders to the Roosevelt Library.
History coming full circle in the wildest way possible.
Anyone else think this is the most American thing you'll see today?🇺🇸
🇺🇸 A Great American Sleepover at the World Cup 2026 ❤️⚽
Europeans (and fans from everywhere) are rolling into the USA and getting the real deal — not just soccer, but the full American experience.
Picture Dutch supporters cruising cross-country in a classic RAM truck, windows down, living the open-road freedom. Packed sports bars with American flags everywhere, smoke machines, and everyone belting “Summer of Love” and “Born in the U.S.A.” at the top of their lungs. USMNT star Christian Pulisic leading thousands in a massive, heartfelt sing-along of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” after a big win — turning stadiums into one giant, joyful family reunion.
Big portions? Always. Bigger hospitality? Non-stop. International visitors are discovering genuine American warmth: endless smiles, “welcome, y’all!” greetings, free refills, late-night celebrations, and that unstoppable summer energy that makes every guest feel like family.
This World Cup is more than matches. It’s cultural exchange at its best — global flags waving next to the Stars and Stripes, new friendships formed over shared chants, and memories that last long after the final whistle.
America is throwing the biggest, warmest party on Earth. This is what welcoming the world with open arms looks like.
God bless the USA — come on in, y’all. The sleepover is just getting started! 🔥🤠🇺🇸