SANTA CRUZ, Calif., July 28 (Santa Cruz News Online) — A teenage lifeguard pulled a boy from powerful surf at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz after waves swept the child offshore, in a rescue captured on video by a witness.
The footage shows the lifeguard entering the water and repeatedly ducking under breaking waves while holding the child, before bringing him back toward shore. Other beachgoers moved in to help, and another lifeguard also joined the rescue effort.
Scott Vander Dussen, who recorded the scene, said the waves caught people off guard. He said the child was overwhelmed and swept out in a moment’s time.
After the rescue, the child was reunited with family and evaluated by paramedics, according to reporting based on the video and witness account. The child’s exact age and the lifeguard’s identity were not independently confirmed in the material reviewed.
