Rookie teenager lifeguard rescues boy from rough surf
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Santa Cruz lifeguards perform 25 rescues amid high waves.
- 10-foot surf triggers beach hazard warnings.
- Boy cleared and reunited with parents.
A teenage lifeguard in his first year on the job rescued an approximately 10-year-old boy caught in heavy surf at Seabright State Beach on Saturday afternoon.
The rescue occurred after wave activity suddenly intensified, producing crashing surf that cleared swimmers from the water. Scott Vander Dussen, a local resident who recorded video of the incident, noted that beachgoers pointed and watched as the lifeguard swam into the churning water to reach the child.
Bystanders attempt assistance
During the roughly two-minute struggle, approximately a dozen bystanders entered the water to assist, though several retreated after encountering the power of the crashing waves and rip currents. A second lifeguard joined to assist toward the end of the operation, successfully pulling the boy to shore.
First responders evaluated the boy on the beach and medically cleared him. He was able to sit up, talk, and reunite with his parents shortly afterward.
The rescue at Seabright was one of three at that specific location and among approximately 25 total rescues carried out by Santa Cruz State lifeguards along the coast that day.
Dangerous ocean conditions
The hazardous surf was driven by a combination of wave energy from a storm near New Zealand and a hurricane near Hawaii, pushing breaking waves up to 10 feet along the California coast. A official beach hazards statement remained active through Wednesday afternoon, warning of strong rip currents and potential sneaker waves.
Following the event, Vander Dussen cited the rescue in calling for community support for House Resolution 1188, a federal measure expressing support for open water lifeguards as official first responders.
Official advisories warn that high surf and coastal flood conditions will extend into Southern California beaches later in the week, driven by active Pacific Ocean weather patterns, unusual marine heat, and an emerging El Niño.
