A routine day at the beach turned into a fight for survival when a 10-year-old boy was swept into the Pacific Ocean by powerful waves at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California.

Standing nearby was Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old rookie lifeguard who had been working his first season with California State Parks.

Within seconds, he was in the water.

The boy was suddenly pulled into the ocean
Nathaniel Rai was standing in relatively shallow water on July 25 when a powerful wave knocked him off his feet and dragged him into deeper water.

The surf was unusually dangerous, with waves reaching around 10 feet and strong currents pushing toward the open ocean.

Williams saw what was happening and immediately radioed for help.

Then he ran into the waves.

“I wasn’t going to let that happen”
Williams reached Nathaniel, but the rescue quickly became even more dangerous.

The waves repeatedly slammed into the teenager and the boy. Williams initially tried to use his rescue equipment, but the conditions made it difficult.

Instead, he wrapped his arms around Nathaniel and refused to let go.

At one point, Nathaniel became unconscious and was no longer responding.

Williams later explained that he knew what would happen if he released his grip.

The boy would drown.

So the 16-year-old held on through wave after wave until fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen reached them and helped bring Nathaniel back toward shore.

His father thought his son was seconds from death
Nathaniel’s father, Sumit Rai, was not at the beach when the incident happened.

After learning what had happened and seeing the rescue footage, he realized how close his son had come to dying.

He later said Nathaniel had been underwater and unconscious, and that he believed his son was only moments away from death before Williams reached him.

Nathaniel survived with no serious physical injuries, although the experience left him shaken.

His father said he would be “forever grateful” to the teenager who saved his son’s life.

Ryder didn’t consider himself a hero
Despite the attention, Williams has repeatedly downplayed what happened.

His response was simple: he was doing his job.

“I love what I do,” the teenager said after the rescue, while also thanking the other lifeguards who helped bring Nathaniel safely back to shore.

But for Nathaniel’s family, it was much more than that.

It was the difference between losing a child and bringing him home.

The rescue went viral
Video of the dramatic rescue, filmed by photographer Scott Vander Dussen, spread rapidly online.

The footage showed Williams fighting through enormous waves while keeping hold of the boy.

The teenager’s courage soon attracted national attention, and he was later recognized by the cast of the upcoming Baywatch reboot, who presented him with a red lifeguard jacket.

What began as a frightening afternoon at a California beach had turned a 16-year-old rookie into a symbol of courage.

And perhaps the most remarkable part is that Williams didn’t hesitate.

He saw a child in danger.

He ran toward the waves.

And he didn’t let go.

Watch the original rescue footage and read the latest CBS report