RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesViral teen lifeguard Ryder Williams is opening up about the dramatic beach rescue that made him an internet sensation ... and he's as cool as a cucumber describing the potentially fatal day.
The 16-year-old spoke out after video of him sprinting into the pounding surf at Seabright Beach last weekend to rescue a young boy from powerful waves racked up millions of views online.
Ryder details the nail-biting moment as he explains seeing the young boy getting swept off his feet ... adding the biggest challenge to his rescue was due to the incident occurring so close to shore, fins were ineffective in assisting the teen hero.
While the footage has people calling him a hero, Ryder says that rescue was just one of many he made that day ... emphasizing the normality of the situation at hand for his occupation.
According to Ryder, the dangerous surf kept lifeguards on high alert, and after bringing the young boy safely back to shore, he was called into action two more times to help swimmers caught in the rough conditions.
Despite all the attention, Ryder has stayed humble, saying he was simply doing the job he was trained to do, adding it's been amazing watching the rescue video spread across social media.
The father of the young boy whom Ryder rescued -- Sumit Rai -- says his son Nathaniel lost consciousness during the incident and that his daughter was traumatized after witnessing it, adding that they were "lucky" the outcome wasn't worse and crediting the lifeguard with saving his son's life.
Ryder said he hopes the viral moment serves as a reminder that the ocean can become dangerous in an instant and that beachgoers should always pay attention to warning flags, lifeguard instructions and changing surf conditions.
As we previously reported ... the downpour of attention included catching President Trump's eye ... he says he plans to invite the lifeguard and his family to D.C. and present him with a "high civilian honor." There has been no confirmation as of yet if Ryder will be taking the President's invite.
After the rescue, the 10-year-old boy was reportedly checked out by paramedics and went home with his parents after medics found he was fine.
As for being labeled a hero, Ryder isn't embracing the title ... but after his viral rescue, plenty of people would say he's earned it.
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