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Teen lifeguard braves massive waves to rescue young boy

By CNN

CA: PHOTOGRAPHER TALKS ROUGH SURF LIFEGUARD RESCUE

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    SANTA CRUZ, California (KSBW) — A lifeguard at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California, battled massive waves to rescue a young swimmer in a dramatic incident captured on camera.

The man who recorded the rescue, Scott Vander Dussen, said, “I’ve never seen a rescue this intense before. So when I saw that unfolding, I just didn’t know how it was going to turn out.”

The lifeguard fearlessly ran into the huge waves to reach the boy, holding onto him throughout the ordeal.

“That just missed the opening seconds where the first lifeguard just fearlessly ran out into those huge waves and did what was needed to bring help to that boy,” Dussen added.

Several bystanders attempted to assist but were quickly knocked off their feet by the powerful surf.

Lifeguards explained that while such efforts are appreciated, they can unintentionally create more victims.

“I understand the instinct to want to go and help someone. And often the more effective way to help is going to be getting someone who is trained and professional to respond to that,” said Anaiis Moise, Marine Safety Officer for the City of Santa Cruz.

After a relentless fight against the waves, another lifeguard joined the effort, and together they brought the boy safely back to shore.

The man who shared the video said, “My heart for sharing the video was to bring a cautionary tale to people coming out to the beach. We want to see people come out, have a good time, enjoy the weather, but get home safely.”

California State Parks lifeguards for Santa Cruz issued a statement, saying, “We have made 34 rescues for beach visitors that misjudged the danger these waves present. Conditions change rapidly, and what seems normal is potentially deadly.”

California State Parks lifeguards have rescued 34 people in Santa Cruz County since the weekend began.

For those who witnessed the rescue, it was a reminder of how quickly the ocean can turn dangerous.

“People ignore, and there’s rescues every day in this area. So the beaches are safe as long as you don’t turn your back to the water and you obey the rules,” said Karen Crivelli, a Santa Cruz County resident.

With strong surf expected throughout the week, lifeguards are urging beachgoers to know their limits before entering the water.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Woman says tenant changed locks, used fake sale agreement and kept her out for a year

By CNN
Click here for updates on this story    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) -- A woman who rented out a room inside her home in exchange for work being done on her property is now warning others about squatters' rights after the tenant kept her out of her home for more than a year.Traci Bates said there is some relief in sight after the tenant changed the locks and kicked her out. A judge just sided with her earlier Monday on a default judgment, but she has been going back-and-forth with the case for more than a year."I feel bullied, pushed into a corner. I feel like I had no rights, especially in the beginning," Bates said.Bates said this happened at her late father's home after she agreed to rent out one of his rooms to a mutual friend."Asked him if he would like to exchange for rent to help me clean up the house, you know, do some remodeling, some small jobs, just some minor things like hauling off some trash from the backyard or whatever. Fixing a fence, repairing it," Bates said.After just three weeks, things took a turn."He changed the locks to the house. I show up to go to get something because all my clothes are there. All my dad's belongings, everything are still in the house," Bates said.She said she hasn't been able to get it back since. Bates said he actually called the police on her, but they couldn't do much because it was a civil matter.Bates said he produced a fake sales agreement, claiming she sold the house to him for $13,000."There's no proof. That's not how you're buying a property," Bates said.A police report filed by Bates accused him of fraud for that agreement, saying she never signed it. It points to a letter from the secretary of state, acknowledging that the notary stamp he used was reported missing around the time that the agreement was supposedly made."This isn't just a problem in Oklahoma. You see this problem all over the country," attorney Noble McIntyre said.McIntyre, who is not tied to the case, said the situation is sort of a civil court loophole."If you had somebody that was very, very wealthy that had all the resources in the world, they could push this much more aggressively. But the average person doesn't have that kind of money. So, they get caught in these situations where they're a law-abiding citizen. They own the property. They're doing everything right. They're doing everything right. But the law is treating them like the bad person. It's ridiculous," McIntyre said.The property assessor's website still lists Bates' family trust as the owners, but the man has since tried countersuing for everything from breach of contract to intentional infliction of emotional distress.KOCO went to the home Monday to try and speak with him about the situation, but no one answered.But just hours after the interview with her Monday, Bates got a notice that the judge granted a default judgment, meaning, soon, she finally gets her house back." Oh, my goodness! I'm so excited," Bates said. "This is such a big release. I'm in tears because of it. I didn't think this day would come."There are a couple of things that still need to happen. Her attorney will have to bring that notice to the sheriff's office, giving the man 48 hours to move out.Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
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