Update: Trump invites teen lifeguard to White House following rescue at Santa Cruz beach

President Donald Trump said he wants to invite the teenage lifeguard who rescued a 10-year-old child from the pounding surf at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz Saturday to the White House and honor him.

“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,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “Very brave, he deserves it!”

At approximately 3:32 p.m. Saturday on the beach area across from the corner of Mott Avenue and East Cliff Drive, the 16-year-old California State Parks lifeguard was conducting a routine safety check on the shore with another visitor when he spotted a child out in the water. According to State Parks Operations Superintendent Scott Sipes, the child had been knocked down by a crashing wave and was quickly swept out about 15 yards offshore by the powerful current.

Video of the harrowing incident, captured by photographer Scott Vander Dussen and posted to his Instagram account “santacruznow,” begins with the lifeguard clutching the child in waist-high whitewash before a wall of water rushes through the frame as the pair attempts to duck underneath. Sipes said the waves were approximately 8 feet tall and were generated by Hurricane Genevieve, a Category 4 hurricane in the Pacific Ocean near Mexico.

The lifeguard, whose identity is being withheld due to his status as a minor, attempted to pull the child to shore as the water rushed back out to sea, and though he makes some progress, there’s not enough time between wave intervals to reach the dry sand as the cycle of attempting to take cover beneath the heavy shore break continued. Several bystanders entered the water in an attempt to assist with the rescue, but some of them were also inundated by the huge waves and rapid current and were nearly swept out as well, according to the video, which has attracted attention from news outlets across the country.

Eventually, a second lifeguard arrived at the scene and assisted with extracting the child from the water. The child, apparently exhausted and unable to stand, according to the video, was unharmed and was reunited with their mother. Sipes said the teenage lifeguard, healthy and in high spirits after the rescue, clocked back in for another shift Sunday.

Sipes added that the incident Saturday was one of 34 rescues that were performed by local lifeguards in Santa Cruz County over the weekend.

“It’s not always immediately apparent that there is this significant risk because there can be a delay between the intervals of wave sets,” said Sipes. “So conditions could, theoretically, look calm for a moment until another set arrives. And because of the energy and the size of the waves, it can be so detrimental that it would catch an unassuming swimmer by surprise.”

Sipes also said the rescue was a reminder to other members of the public that, unless they are professionally trained, they should remain on the beach and call in for other authorities if they see someone in distress. Otherwise, the bystanders could complicate the effort and require rescuing of their own.

“Sometimes, well-intended people can become overwhelmed themselves and actually add to the rescue,” added Sipes. “We were very fortunate they all made it out.”

Sipes stressed that the dangerous coastal conditions are expected to last at least through Thursday and said members of the public can stay safe by checking in with a lifeguard before entering the water and never turning their back on the ocean.

The National Weather Service has included the county in a beach hazards statement that will last through 5 p.m. Saturday. Breaking waves could reach up to 10 feet tall with sneaker waves and strong rip currents expected to continue to occur as well.