A ten-year-old visiting California with his family briefly lost consciousness and went limp amid ferocious waves – before a teenage lifeguard dramatically rescued him.

Nathaniel Rai, of Dallas, Texas, had waded into the ocean while on vacation with his mother and sister at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz on Saturday.

After a sneaker wave swelled much farther up the beach than expected, the young boy began to get swept out to sea, Scott Vander Dussen told the Los Angeles Times. 

‘From what I gathered, he assumed he was going to die,’ his father, Sumit Rai, told ABC 7.

‘He was drowning. He knew he was drowning. He blacked out. He went unconscious. When he came out of the water, he was clearly limp. It doesn’t look like he was breathing.’

But thanks to the quick-thinking actions of lifeguard Ryder Williams, Rai survived. 

The 16-year-old was caught on camera jumping into action immediately after seeing the boy’s head bobbing in the waves.

The lifeguard pulls the limp boy out of the water amid rough waves at Seabright Beach

Rai, from Dallas, Texas, had been on vacation in California when he nearly drowned

Williams could be seen in the footage with his arms wrapped around the boy as waves surged all around them.

When the monstrous waves then crashed down, the teenager was seen ducking underneath the water – refusing to let go of Rai.

As they approached the shore, fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen could be seen helping drag Williams and Rai up the beach. 

Rai appeared to be limp as he was brought closer to shore, before a third lifeguard lifted him up.

When they carried the boy to safety, those on the beach applauded. 

Reflecting on the rescue, Williams said he was ‘at the waterline 15 yards down-coast of Tower 2, when I looked up and saw a child about 20 [yards] up from the tower lose his footing in ankle-deep water.’

At that point, he ran into the ocean to try to reach the child.

‘After the first wave, I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard,’ Williams told ABC 7 on Wednesday. 

Many online credit Williams with saving Rai’s life after watching footage of the event

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Rai’s father tells ABC 7 how his son briefly lost consciousness in the ferocious waves

‘There were two to three more waves before lifeguard Aaron Bohnen entered the water to help me. There were bystanders who jumped in to try to help and I yelled at them all to get back to shore.’

Once the boy was safely back on the beach, Williams said he and Bohnen assessed the child, after which he resumed his regular lifeguard duties.

‘I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,’ Williams said. ‘This is my job and I love what I do.’

He then added that he is ‘thankful for my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues just like this every day.’

But many who saw the video credited Williams with saving Rai’s life, with Vander Dussen claiming he had been just ‘moments from not coming back.’

‘A few seconds, a few degrees, a few yards of distance and this is a very different story with a very different ending,’ Vander Dussen said as he shared the video.

It quickly circulated on social media – even garnering the attention of President Donald Trump, who invited the teenager to the White House to receive a civilian honor.

‘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,’ the commander-in-chief posted on X, adding that the teen was ‘very brave.’

Fellow lifeguard Aaron Bohnen helps with the rescue after the boys move closer to the shore

Other lifeguards also said Williams handled the situation like a professional.

He intentionally dipped himself and the boy below the surf rather than battle the waves above, thereby minimizing exposure to the powerful currents that threatened to sweep them both deeper out to sea, Tom Gill, president of the United States Lifesaving Association, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

‘The first thing I see when I look at that video is an incredibly brave young man putting his life on the line to save someone else,’ Gill said.

‘That is so much water moving, so much power. The wherewithal, the poise, the training, the confidence to stay with that rescue – that had to take everything that young man had.’

Gill also said Williams ‘probably would have loved’ to just wrap his flotation device around the boy.

Instead, his calm, steadfast effort kept the boy’s airways above the water as he methodically worked his way back to shore.

Wyatt Werneth, a spokesman for the American Lifeguard Association, added that the video shows Williams’ grit and determination.

‘He was above and beyond the standard,’ Werneth insisted. ‘Out of 100 16-year-olds that we hire a year, I might have one that was up to the measure of this young man.’ 

The teenage lifeguard undertook five different rescues during his Saturday shift in Santa Cruz

Williams suffered ‘some road rash on his forehead’ after saving Rai, when he hit his head on the sand but was otherwise left unscathed, his father, Shane Williams, told the California Post. 

The emotional toll of the rescue was also apparent when the teenager returned home from his shift that day.

‘He told me when he got home, he said, “Dad, I wasn’t going to let go of that kid because I knew if I let go of him, he was going to drown and I wasn’t going to let that happen,”‘ Shane recounted. 

‘And it brought a tear to my eye when he said that. It was pretty amazing.’

Yet the teenager has apparently remained humble, telling his family only that ‘It was all in a day’s work’ and ‘This is what I do.’

He then wound up rescuing two others following the now viral moment with Rai in situations his grandfather, George Williams, said were ‘more gnarly.’

In total, the teenage lifeguard undertook five different rescues during his Saturday shift.

Shane said his son’s actions that day reflect the kind of caring person he has always been.

‘He just wants to give back to his community because he grew up there,’ the proud father said. 

But Rai’s father said his family is just fortunate, ‘because of Ryder and those people that helped, that he actually survived this.’

‘God bless them and you know, thank you, I cannot express sufficient gratitude,’ Sumit said. 

‘There’s nothing more valuable to me than my children. And to save one of them and their lives, especially at such a young, tender age, you know, which is such a premature way to lose someone, I can’t thank them enough.’

‘I’m just so grateful that Ryder and others were there to help pull him out and save his life,’ the father continued. ‘Otherwise, I can’t imagine what life would look like today.’ 

First Minister John Swinney said Ross’s family would be supported by the Scottish government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

He said: “This is an absolutely appalling case that has been reported overnight.

“And obviously I’m deeply concerned that such a tragedy has taken place.”

Helena Smith, The Guardian’s correspondent in Athens, told BBC Radio Scotland that the body was found in a derelict building in downtown Athens, “in an area that is booming, full of Airbnbs”.

She said: “It is very popular with people travelling through Athens and young foreigners who have elected to make the Greek capital their home.”

Smith said that Ross had family in Edinburgh and “connections” to Greece – staying with a friend in Athens before she disappeared.

She added: “It would seem that someone had control over her mobile phone after she died and was sending messages to distract the authorities and close friends from trying to track her down.”

An expert from a butchers company has shared the common mistake people make when cooking bacon and steak – and it’s all to do with your pan.

When you’re doing the weekly shop and need something quick for breakfast or dinner, few things beat a pack of bacon or a couple of steaks. Both are delicious and full of flavour, and can be enjoyed on their own or added into sandwiches, noodles or pasta dishes.

They’re also both relatively simple to prepare, requiring little more than a few minutes of frying in a pan. Despite this, there’s one critical error that many people are making with their meat — and according to an expert, it’s destroying both the flavour and texture.

An expert at specialist butcher Campbells Meat, Niall McCusker, has shared the widespread mistake that most of us have been guilty of making in the kitchen.

He said: “The way you cook your meat will ultimately affect the taste and the texture.”

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In many recipes, the first step is to heat your pan before adding anything to it. While certain lean meats such as chicken, pork chops and lean steaks can benefit from this approach, other cuts — such as bacon and fatty steak — require an entirely different technique.

How to cook bacon and steak properly

Rather than reaching for a red-hot pan, Niall recommends placing your steak, bacon or other high-fat meats into a cold pan first.

“These foods have a high fat content, so you need to know how to render the fat and get it nice and crispy without burning the meat,” Niall explained. “Starting off with a cold pan lets the fat slowly melt as it turns into a liquid. That cooks off the fat and gives you that flavour without burning the meat. It also results in a more tender texture, as it hasn’t tightened up from cooking on a high heat.”

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Can you cook bacon and steak in the air fryer?

For those who favour an air fryer over a traditional pan, you can still achieve perfectly juicy yet crispy bacon and steaks — and it couldn’t be easier.

For bacon, arrange the strips in a single layer inside the basket, ensuring they don’t overlap at all, as this will affect how crispy they become. Set the temperature to 200C and cook for approximately eight to 10 minutes, before removing and placing on a sheet of kitchen paper to absorb any excess grease.

Steaks require a little more preparation. Pat them dry using kitchen paper, brush with a teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Pre-heat the air fryer for two minutes at 200C, then place the steaks in the basket and cook for six minutes. Turn the steak and cook for a further two minutes.

At this stage, your steak should be rare to medium rare. Add another two minutes for medium steaks, plus a further two minutes if you prefer them well-done.

Allow them to rest on a plate for a couple of minutes, and they’ll be ready to serve.

Christina Calderato, Director of Strategy at Transport for London (TfL), said: “The tunnel user charges are designed to manage traffic demand – which then enables wider objectives like improving the road network’s performance and resilience, encouraging use of public transport and active travel, and supporting economic growth. Without the tunnel user charge, there would be more traffic and congestion, with negative impacts on air quality and journey times.

The ex-Love Islander, TV presenter, showjumper and daughter of footballer Michael Owen took part in the annual Goodwood event featuring 12 part-time riders

Gemma Owen finished fourth on her jockey debut when she took part in the Markel Magnolia Cup on Thursday, the annual charity race run at Goodwood.

The influencer, international dressage rider and daughter of former England and Liverpool striker Michael Owen was one of the star names among the dozen women chosen for the popular event.

Owen prepared for the race at her Dad’s Manor House racing stables in Cheshire, guided by the former top professional jockey Franny Norton. Manor House’s trainer Hugo Palmer supplied her mount who was named Turbo Trotter for the day. But when the race started Gemma was left behind and by the time she got going, she had too much ground to make up on the leaders as she finished fourth.

“It was an amazing experience from start to finish,” she said. “He was an angel and he really looked after me, but that flag start is different as everyone’s bunched together and cutting each other up.

“My start wasn’t great; I got boxed in, but he travelled well, made up some good ground and finished strong. If I’d have a better start, it’d have been a different result.”

She added: “I think I’ll go again. I want to win now, and I’ll probably end up doing another race so I can get that first place.

“Dressage is very concise and slow, and that was the complete opposite. Everything happened so quick, but I don’t know which one I prefer.

“I’ve loved the training and riding out, and seeing what goes on behind the scenes makes you appreciate the hard work that goes into it. I’ve a new found respect for jockeys, and I appreciate the sport a lot more since doing it. I’m never happy not winning, so you’ll see me back.”

Victory was claimed by Imaam Rasul-Healer on Khor Al Adaid, trained by Scott Dixon. The 26-year-old who works at Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing yard in Newmarket only got a place in the race six days earlier after Molly Hunter, a reporter for the Press Association, was ruled out by illness.

“I had not done too much prep, got on him for the first time last Friday,” she said. “I’ve been in the process the whole way but at every single fitness test I seemed to be ill, or something was wrong.

“Then I fell off a two-year-old filly, hit my head, got a concussion and wasn’t allowed to do my final fitness test. I got the call last week and thankfully was fit to step in.”

The race has raised more than £75,000 for Education Above All Foundation, a global education non-profit.

She added: “I’m only the second Muslim to win this and charity is a huge focal point of our religion.”

A court has heard Bush breached the trust placed in him by grieving families “on an almost industrial scale”, by keeping bodies for months after they should have been cremated, giving out the wrong ashes, taking money for funeral plans without making any of the arrangements, and stealing charity donations collected at services.

Some victims of disgraced undertaker Robert Bush have not been refunded for fake funeral plans he sold to them, a court has heard.

The 48-year-old defrauded 172 people over 11 years to the tune of £562,000, Hull Crown Court was told.

He previously admitted 67 offences in relation to his business, Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, including failing to bury and cremate people, theft from 12 charities, fraudulent trading in funeral plans, and fraud.

On the fourth day of his sentencing hearing, one woman said her parents, who paid £2,649 each for funeral plans, were not alive “to see the justice they deserved”. Another said she had not been refunded £5,000 for two policies.

This story contains details some might find distressing.

Wiping her eyes with a tissue, Maxine Hill told Mr Justice Hilliard the bank refused to refund the money fraudulently taken by Bush, whom she knew personally.

Bush visited both her parents, Margaret and John, in their own home and issued a handwritten receipt to her mother who paid him in cash.

The bank initially refunded the amount paid by Hill’s father but 90 days later, the bank took the money back saying “there was no evidence that he hadn’t received a product”, the court heard.

Both have since died – Margaret in May 2024 and John in June 2025.

If you’re looking for a curve-friendly wedding guest dress, Alison Hammond has answered with her latest This Morning outfit – a £65 polka dot maxi dress that ‘feels luxurious’

The search for a great wedding guest dress can be a tricky one, especially if you fall into the plus size category, but more high street brands are now expanding their sizing range to be inclusive. A perfect example is Next, which now offers most of its clothes in sizing ranging from six to 26.

But Alison Hammond has answered the question of what to wear for a wedding with her latest This Morning outfit. On Wednesday’s episode, Alison wore the Chocolate Brown Spot Satin Maxi Dress which is just £65 and works for multiple special occasions.

READ MORE: Vicky Pattison re-wears her on-sale floral mini dress that’s ‘nice and thin for hot weather’

READ MORE: Celeb-loved Havaianas flip flops that are ‘comfy and reliable’ are slashed to £24

The Next Satin Maxi Dress is available in sizes six to 26, as well as sizes 10-20 in the tall range – although some sizes are selling out quickly. As well as Alison’s chocolate brown polka dot print, it also comes in champagne, navy blue and dark green, and it’s just the right combination of luxurious and elegant without being too extravagant.

To make the dress more daytime TV-friendly, Alison paired her dress with a pair of chocolate brown and bronze Anais Pointed T-Bar Flats from Air & Grace, but for evening events and formal occasions, a pair of metallic heels and a statement clutch bag would instantly elevate it. You could even pack it for your next holiday, styling it with some gladiator sandals and a statement necklace for evenings out.

It comes in a lightweight satin material with a hammered finish, which gives it a luxe-look, and features a ruched knot detail around the waist which creates a flattering silhouette. The Next Satin Maxi Dress also has wide, flared sleeves for some added drama, and a rounded neckline.

There are some other beautiful occasion dresses to shop right now too, including this £129 Green Diamond Print Toria Dress from Never Fully Dressed which is available in sizes six to 28, with a gathered front and draped sleeves. Alternatively, ASOS’ Draped Long Sleeve Cross Front High Neck Satin Maxi Dress which comes in a beautiful green shade for £65, with cape-style sleeves and a draped column silhouette.

However Alison’s Chocolate Brown Spot Satin Maxi Dress is a hit with shoppers, with one person saying: “Gorgeous dress, feels very luxurious and will be perfect for the wedding I’m attending this autumn.”

Another agreed: “The style is very flattering to the “fuller figure”, whilst a third added: “I bought this dress to attend an awards dinner & ceremony and it was great. A lovely rich colour and very flattering and elegant.”

One Next shopper did say, however: “This is a beautiful dress, but really quite heavy weight. More suitable for a autumn/ winter party, not 30 degrees plus summer evening, so regretfully returned.”

And another complained: “Very disappointed for a dress of this price I would have expected better. The design was large polka dots but the were not matched properly and this was very noticeable at the front.”

However, others loved it, saying: “These dresses are beautiful, flattering, drape beautifully, lovely material, lovely colour (navy) and best of all a really good price, look far more expensive than they are.”

A drone strike ignited a fire that engulfed two gas vessels at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, the Egyptian cabinet confirmed on Thursday, stating the blaze was the result of an attack rather than an accident.

The incident, which occurred near the strategically vital Suez Canal – a crucial evacuation route for Saudi oil to global markets – has yet to be claimed by any party.

Authorities have launched an investigation and are implementing measures to safeguard Egypt’s national security. British maritime security firm Ambrey had initially assessed on Wednesday that a drone struck a US-owned gas storage tanker at the port, raising concerns about a potential escalation of conflict across the Middle East.

Trading sources familiar with the event identified the affected vessels as the floating storage tanker Energos Winter and the Gaslog Salem, with the fire reportedly starting on the starboard side of the Energos Winter before spreading.

The drone attack unfolded shortly after Iran launched a missile strike against US forces in Jordan, and following retaliatory actions by Washington and Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq.

US president Donald Trump had threatened retaliation against Iran, while Yemen’s Houthi group declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, indicating a widening of the conflict since the US and Israel began bombing Iran in February.

Egypt’s petroleum ministry confirmed on Wednesday that the fires were swiftly brought under control by firefighting and security teams, with no injuries or fatalities reported. Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi visited the site to oversee the response efforts.

The Energos Winter, a floating storage and regasification unit, is owned by US-based Energos Infrastructure and managed by Wilhelmsen Ship Management, a Singapore-based subsidiary of Norway’s Wilhelmsen Group.

The incident arrives at a sensitive juncture for Egypt’s gas market. Having become an LNG exporter following the development of the giant Zohr offshore gas field, Egypt has recently reverted to being a significant LNG buyer due to declining domestic production and surging demand. Any prolonged disruption could significantly impact LNG traders, affecting demand and spot prices.

Sources indicate that the vessels are expected to remain out of service for an extended period, with one reporting a breach in a tank on the Energos Winter, potentially prolonging repair work.

The Energos Winter possesses a regasification capacity of approximately 450 million cubic feet per day, which accounts for roughly 7 per cent of Egypt’s daily gas consumption and 16 per cent of its total LNG receiving and regasification capacity, according to Egyptian consultancy ElAdl Studies.

While the outage is not anticipated to create an immediate supply gap, given Egypt’s alternative import facilities and fuel options, it will reduce spare capacity during a period of peak summer demand.

Potential mitigation strategies include maximising other regasification units, increasing the use of fuel oil as a backup, tapping into renewable energy capacity, and, as a last resort, temporarily reducing gas supplies to certain industrial sectors.