Heroic Lifeguard Rescue as Boy Is Swept Into Massive Waves at California [bSjLaQ8wop7]
A 16-year-old lifeguard ran into pounding waves at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, California, on Saturday and pulled a drowning boy out of the water. Video shows the teenager reaching the boy, roughly 10 years old, and locking onto him as wave after wave slams both of them under. He does not release his grip. A second lifeguard reaches them and helps drag the boy to the sand. Scott Vander Dussen, who filmed the rescue, watched the teenager go in without hesitating. "He dove in, setting fear aside," Vander Dussen said. Byran Kine, a lifeguard supervisor for Santa Cruz State Parks, says the water that day punished even trained rescuers. "It is really, really strong surf right now," Kine said. Santa Cruz lifeguards complete at least 56 hours of lifeguard instruction, 24 hours of medical certification and more than 80 hours of marine safety training before working the water. The boy was evaluated by paramedics and returned to his family. The rescue was one of at least 25 across Santa Cruz County that day. Eric Trump praised the teenager after the clip spread online, calling the rescue the best of America and urging that the lifeguard receive the highest civilian honor.