Heroic lifeguard points way to crucial change in California

California doesn’t recognize lifeguards as first responders.But last month’s heroic rescue by 16-year-old California rookie lifeguard Ryder Williams is a reminder of why that needs to change.“I wasn’t going to let go of that kid.

He was going to drown, and I wasn’t going to let that happen,” Williams later told his father, after pulling an unconscious 10-year-old boy from the rough surf at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz on July 25 — World Drowning Prevention Day.Video of the rescue went viral, drawing national attention.Williams, a California State Parks lifeguard, was on duty when Nathaniel Rai, wading in ankle-deep water, was swept into the ocean by a wave.

Williams rushed into the water, grabbed hold of the boy, and held on through wave after wave and pounding surf until a fellow lifeguard arrived and helped pull them both to shore.After decades of decline, drownings in the US have risen to roughly 4,500 a year since the pandemic, up from about 4,000, even as America faces a persistent lifeguard shortage.In the US, drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-14.Black children drown at disproportionately higher rates than white children due to historic inequities in access to swimming pools and swim lessons.This summer has seen an increase in child drownings nationwide.

Florida, which regularly leads the country in child drownings, has reported 87 fatalities so far this year and is on pace to surpass last year’s record total of 120, according to state data.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story Most child drownings occur during non-swim time, when a child is not expected to be in or near water and is unsupervised.Nathaniel Ra...