President Trump to Invite Heroic 16-Year-Old Lifeguard to White House for Civilian Honor
The administration announced plans to invite a 16-year-old lifeguard to the White House to receive a high civilian honor after he performed a heroic rescue at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz. The teenage lifeguard, who was hailed as a "heroic young man," battled 8-to-10-foot waves to rescue a 10-year-old boy who was swept into the surf. Scott Vander Dussen recorded the dramatic rescue on video, which has since gone viral. The footage shows the lifeguard diving into the powerful swells and holding onto the boy while several beachgoers were overwhelmed by the water. California State Parks officials noted that the rescue is a direct result of the training provided to their lifeguards. President Trump praised the young man's bravery on social media, stating that he deserves the recognition. The lifeguard's mother noted that he was simply doing the job he loves, while local officials used the incident as a reminder to respect the ocean's power and remain aware of hazardous surf conditions.
Sources
-
Teen lifeguard's rescue of boy at California beach gets President Trump's attention
KCRA
-
Teen lifeguard invited to White House after viral Santa Cruz rescue
NBC Bay Area
-
Teen lifeguard braves massive waves to rescue young boy at Seabright Beach
KSBW
-
Heroic 16-year-old lifeguard rescues child from monster surf in heart-stopping video
Yahoo
-
Trump says he wants to honor California lifeguard who rescued boy from pounding surf
AP News