Trump honors hero lifeguard in Oval Office, and 10-year-old boy lifeguard saved from rough surf in California

16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams and President Trump.

President Trump welcomed a heroic lifeguard, whose courageous rescue of a boy caught in a rip current was caught on video and viewed by tens of millions of Americans, as well as the young boy whose life was saved that day to the Oval Office on Monday.

Ryder Williams, the 16-year-old California lifeguard, was praised by Trump for his actions late last month in the waters off a Santa Cruz beach in California. Footage from the rescue showed Williams dragging Nathaniel Rai, 10, out of the water after became distressed. Enormous waves battered the two boys as Williams struggled to pull Rai out of danger. At various points, other beachgoers tried to assist Williams, but were eventually swept back by the powerful waves. 

Williams, though, never lost his grip on Rai, despite the relentless and violent waves continuously pounding them, and at times submerging them. Eventually, as Williams and Rai made it close to the beach, another lifeguard joined the rescue and brought Rai to safety, outrunning the incoming surf. Trump presented Williams with a "High Civilian Honor" for the bravery he displayed in that harrowing moment. At one point, Trump remarked to Rai, "You're going to have a long and beautiful life."

When a reporter asked the lifeguard about how the daring rescue would shape his future, Williams credited his training with helping him to execute in that critical moment. "In those dangerous moments that we have, we always try to fall back on our training. I really just was thinking: How do I get the boy out of the water as fast as I can," Williams said. "For shaping my future," Williams continued, "I want to be a firefighter and go to paramedic school." Trump said he'd give Williams a recommendation if needed. 

"I've seen rescues before. I've never seen anything like this. When you see something like this happen -- he's a real hero," Trump said of Williams. "I don't know if I'd do it -- I wouldn't, probably," Trump quipped. Then, he turned to Rai and said, "You're lucky I wasn't on service that day." 

At another point during the event, Trump again to turned to Rai and said, "God was watching you, right." Rai nodded his head and replied, "Yeah."

Trump went on to say that the White House would treat Williams and Rai and their respective families, who joined them in the Oval Office, to a tour of the Lincoln Bedroom.

Below, watch a highlight from the event and see the full event from the Oval Office here.