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Family ‘forever grateful’ after 10-year-old rescued from rip current by teen lifeguard

▶ Watch Video: Boy saved in rip current rescue speaks out: “I thought I was going to … die”

A 10-year-old boy who was saved from a rip current off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, last month said he thought he was going to die before a 16-year-old lifeguard rescued him.

“I’m super thankful for him saving my life,” Nathaniel Rai said about the teen lifeguard, Ryder Williams.

Nathaniel told “CBS Mornings” that “the waves were really big” that day at the beach so he stayed on the shore. But at one point he tripped and got pulled into the water.

“It was really quick and it felt scary because I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he recalled.

Nathaniel’s father, Sumit Rai, said his son was “a second or two away from dying” and he’s “forever grateful” for Williams, who was the first person to respond.

“Ryder knew that if he lets go, Nathaniel is going to drown,” Sumit Rai said. At that point, he said, Nathaniel was unconscious and not breathing.

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Ryder Williams, 16, helps to rescue 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai from a rip current off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, last month.

Scott Vander Dussen

“He just did everything he was supposed to do to save his (Nathaniel’s) life and put himself at risk to do so,” he said.

Sumit Rai also expressed gratitude for the other lifeguard who assisted and the good Samaritans who jumped in to help save his son.

“I appreciate each and every one of them, incredibly so, because, you know, it took that effort to bring him out and keep him alive. I’m just so grateful to have my son with me. I can’t imagine what life would look like had Ryder not been there,” he said.

In a statement last week, Ryder Williams said he too was grateful. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely. This is my job and I love what I do. I’m thankful to my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues just like this every day,” he said.

Jake Shannon contributed to this report.

Bethel Park police seek suspect after kittens thrown from car: “It was horrific”

By CNN
Click here for updates on this story    BETHEL PARK, Pennsylvania (KDKA) -- Bethel Park Police are investigating after they said someone threw kittens from their vehicle.The kittens died, police said. At least one of the kittens was still alive when it was thrown, said Tracy Flaherty, who manages the Dairy Queen on Library Road. She saw it moving along the road and believes a car hit it. She and another individual moved the kitten to the side of the road. "As we were petting it, it took its last breath," Flaherty said. Bethel Park Police received calls on Saturday between 3:30 and 3:45 about an individual throwing "items" from a vehicle in the area of Connor Road and Old Connor Road, as well as on Library Road near the Dairy Queen plaza, the department wrote on Facebook. "Upon investigation, the items were unfortunately determined to be deceased kittens," the post said. They did not specify how many kittens were found or if they were all alive when thrown from the vehicle. Bud Demart saw the Connor Road police scene unfold in front of his home. At first, he thought it was a dead squirrel on the road."It was small and had a big tail, and I'm-I mean, who would have thought there was a kitten on the road," he said. "That's a shame that happened. I'm not a big cat person, but they don't deserve to be thrown out of a car and run over."At Bailey's Cat Haven in nearby South Park Township, manager Barb Brown reacted to what happened. "It was horrific,' Brown said. "You know as a rescue we don't understand what possesses people to do this?Theres a variety of rescues the person could have contacted to give their kittens to, she said, adding she wishes she could have helped."Generally, when people are this desperate, they'll release them in a park or a wooded area, but the fact that they threw them out the window-that's a horrible way for any any animal or pet to to pass away," Brown said. Rick, who volunteers at the same shelter, was equally disturbed by what happened. "It's absolutely heinous," he said. "You know, it just it made my blood boil thinking that somebody could do something like this." Cross Your Paws rescue in Greensburg put up a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest. Rick said he'd give them another $500 so they could increase their reward. "Somebody has to care for those who don't have a voice," he said. "We want to know who did it."Demart was asked about what he thought of the person responsible. "I think somebody ought to throw them out of the car," Demart said. "I mean, I just can't understand how somebody could do that to a harmless animal."Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed anything to please contact them. They added that no matter how insignificant it may seem, it could help them.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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