34 rescues hit Santa Cruz coast as Trump praises teen lifeguard

A child rescued from the surf at Seabright State Beach was among 34 rescues carried out by California State Parks’ Santa Cruz District as a powerful ocean swell created dangerous beach conditions over the weekend.

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The prolonged southerly swell is due to two storms churning in the Pacific. Fausto, now downgraded to a tropical storm, and the strong Category 4 Hurricane Genevieve have led to large and dangerous waves along the California coast, with the hazardous pattern expected to continue through at least Wednesday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Coastal hazards include sneaker waves, strong rip currents and breaking waves. 

Video captured Sunday shows those powerful waves crashing into Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, when a young child was swept into the ocean before being rescued.

Crowds were gathered on Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz to enjoy warm July weather last weekend when lifeguards jumped into action for a heart-pounding water rescue.

A 10-year-old boy was spotted being pummeled by waves, thrashing through thick white water, 10-foot waves,… pic.twitter.com/nu2oT4ow6T

— KRON4 News (@kron4news) July 27, 2026

Just after 3:30 p.m., a lifeguard saw a child lose his balance in the water and get swept into the ocean approximately 15 yards offshore, Tyler Hersko, a spokesperson for California State Parks, told SFGATE. The lifeguard secured the child in the water until a second lifeguard arrived, and together they pulled him from the ocean, he said. The child did not have any serious injuries, and he was released to his parents, Hersko said. 

The video of the rescue, published by several media outlets, shows massive waves repeatedly crashing over him as he clings to the young child who was swept away. Several beachgoers also appeared to help the pair as they struggled against the rough water until the second lifeguard arrived. 

According to several reports, the lifeguard was only 16 years old and the child was 10. Hersko did not respond to SFGATE’s additional question about the lifeguard and the child’s ages. 

The rescue even drew attention from U.S. President Donald Trump, who called the lifeguard “brave.” 

“We’re going to bring this heroic young man, and his family, into the White House with, perhaps, the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honor,” Trump wrote in a Tuesday post on X.

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Scott Vander Dussen, a beachgoer who witnessed the rescue, told NBC Bay Area that the waves “changed in a heartbeat.”

“Unfortunately, this young man was overwhelmed and swept out in just a moment’s time. I’m glad it ended the way it did. I’m certain if the lifeguards weren’t there, he wouldn’t have gone home that night,” he told the news outlet. Vander Dussen did not respond to SFGATE’s requests for comment.

Hersko said State Parks’ lifeguards in the Santa Cruz area performed 34 rescues over the weekend, including rescues on and off the department’s property. Lifeguards also conducted more than 5,000 “preventative contacts,” which helped avoid additional rescues along the coastline. Nearby, in the Monterey District, there were three rescues at Big Sur River Gorge and 3,000 “preventative contacts.”

State Parks officials are urging the public to take precautions during the summer’s southerly swells, which have long pauses between wave sets and can create a “false sense of security due to conditions appearing calm even during periods of high surf,” Hersko said. People visiting the state’s beaches should observe ocean conditions before entering the water and be aware of conditions changing rapidly, which can “quickly change a safe day at the beach into dangerous conditions,” he said. 

Beachgoers should never attempt rescues on their own, and they should stay high and try to be ready to flag down lifeguards and first responders if someone is in distress, Hersko said. Several cases have been made “more dangerous” when bystanders attempt their own rescues, he added, and it’s important for the public to understand that “seconds matter” when someone is in distress. 

Officials are also urging people to keep children within arm’s reach if they are playing in the water or on the waterline and to never turn their back on the ocean.