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Who is Nathaniel Rai? Dallas boy says 'I thought I was going to die' after dramatic viral ocean rescue
Nathaniel Rai, the Dallas boy rescued from dangerous surf by lifeguard Ryder Williams, recalled the terrifying moment when he believed he would not survive.
Ten-year-old Nathaniel Rai, the Dallas boy rescued from dangerous surf by 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams, has recalled the terrifying moments when he believed he would not survive. Speaking publicly for the first time on CBS Mornings, Nathaniel said he thought he was "going to die" before Williams reached him in the water during the July 25 rescue at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz.
The rescue video has since gone viral.
The fourth grader appeared alongside his father, Sumit Rai, who praised Williams and the other rescuers for saving his son's life. According to California State Parks, Nathaniel did not suffer serious injuries despite the life-threatening conditions.
Who is Nathaniel Rai?
Nathaniel Rai is a 10-year-old fourth-grade student from Dallas who was caught in dangerous surf while visiting Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz with his family.
Nathaniel said he was on a family vacation when their beach day ended with him nearly drowning.
Nathaniel has now watched the widely shared footage of himself being saved. In his first television interview, Nathaniel recalled sensing that the ocean conditions were unsafe even before entering the water.
“I told her I didn't want to because the waves were too big,” he said, referring to an adult he had spoken to before the incident. Instead, he remained near the shoreline. Moments later, he lost his footing.
"I tripped and then I got pulled," Nathaniel said.
Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old lifeguard, answered the call and said that he saw Nathaniel lose his balance.
He described the frightening moments before help arrived in simple terms. “Before the lifeguard came, I thought I was going to die,” he said.
Nathaniel said during the interview, “I think one more wave happened and I went unconscious. When I woke up, Ryder was taking me to shore ... I was super thankful because I knew he was going to save my life.”
According to Nathaniel's father, Sumit, the thank you resulted in a video call between both families. They now feel connected, he remarked fortuitously.
How did Ryder Williams save Nathaniel Rai?
Nathaniel's father, Sumit Rai, credited Ryder Williams with saving his son's life. He said the rip current could have carried Nathaniel much farther into the ocean within seconds.
"Had it not been for Ryder, Nathaniel wouldn't be sitting here next to me today," Sumit said.
According to him, Nathaniel had already become unconscious during the rescue.
"He had gone limp. He wasn't breathing. He was basically dead weight," Sumit said, adding that Williams held onto the boy despite powerful waves until additional help arrived.
Williams later explained that he immediately radioed for assistance after spotting Nathaniel lose his footing in ankle-deep water.
"As I grab the child, he goes limp," the teen lifeguard recalled in a statement shared by California State Parks. Unable to return to shore alone because of the strong current, he focused on keeping Nathaniel's head above water until Aaron Bohnen reached them.
The two lifeguards brought Nathaniel safely back to shore, where they administered first aid before paramedics evaluated him. Officials said the child did not suffer serious injuries.
Nathaniel has since met Williams in person. During the interview, he said the two bonded over their shared interest in UFC.
"He likes the same things as me and my dad," Nathaniel said.
Sumit said, “It turns out there's a lot of commonalities between us. We all really like UFC, so we're talking about going to a fight together ... It also so happens that [Ryder's father] is a retired firefighter and Ryder wants to follow in his footsteps and be a firefighter. I happen to run a nonprofit for firefighters to screen them for cancer.”
Williams also told the boy he was glad he had been able to save his life and thanked the other lifeguards involved in the rescue.
“This is my job and I love what I do,” he said. “I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely.”
