‘I’m super proud of him’: father of teen lifeguard recounts dramatic ocean rescue; The Guardian, July 29, 2026

Ramon Antonio Vargas, The Guardian; ‘I’m super proud of him’: father of teen lifeguard recounts dramatic ocean rescue

"A rookie, teenage California lifeguard who saved a young boy from drowning amid massive waves – while a bystander recorded dramatic video – has spent his whole life preparing for such a moment, according to his father.

Ryder Williams, 16, said he refused to let go of the child because he knew the boy would almost certainly die if he did, the lifeguard’s father, Shane, recounted on Tuesday, three days after the pulse-pounding rescue.

“He told me: ‘I just was not going to let that happen,’” Shane Williams said during a telephone interview. “I almost started crying because how determined he was to save that boy’s life makes me so proud.”

Shane Williams’s comments lent a unique perspective to a rescue off Seabright beach in Santa Cruz that local authorities say unfolded when a child lost his balance, got knocked down by a wave and was swept into the Pacific Ocean about 15 yards offshore on Saturday afternoon.

An on-duty, California state parks lifeguard who was later identified as Ryder saw the boy in distress and ran to help him, officials said in a statement."

Rescuer who jumped into icy Chicago lake to save baby: ‘All I did was a human act’; The Guardian, February 25, 2026

Ramon Antonio Vargas , The Guardian; Rescuer who jumped into icy Chicago lake to save baby: ‘All I did was a human act’

"A Chicagoan who recently jumped into a perilously cold lake to help rescue a baby whose stroller was blown into the water by a wind gust has implored everyone in the US to “just take care of one another”."

Marine jumps down onto New York City subway tracks to save man; Task & Purpose, December 12, 2025

JEFF SCHOGOL, Task & Purpose; Marine jumps down onto New York City subway tracks to save man

"Marine Sgt. Derrick McMillian was waiting for the subway in Manhattan when he heard a commotion. He saw that a man had fallen onto the tracks and was struggling to stand up.

A recruiter based in New York City, McMillian, realized that a train was about 2 minutes away. Without hesitating, he jumped onto the tracks and went over to the man, whom he was afraid would stumble onto the electrified third rail.

“I saw people were more just kind of like watching, wondering, who’s going to help this guy,” McMillian told Task & Purpose. “I’m seeing him trying to get up and he can’t get up. It just felt normal and natural to go down and help him out."...

When asked why he sprang into action, McMillian cited a lesson he learned from one of his staff sergeants: People expect that Marines will always help them out, no matter who they are or what they look like.

“I just didn’t want to be a bystander,” McMillian said. “I didn’t want to see this man die. So that was what was motivating me.”

Hundreds of helpless cold-stunned sea turtles rescued by Navy pilots and pickup trucks; The Washington Post, February 18, 2021

Alex Horton, The Washington Post; Hundreds of helpless cold-stunned sea turtles rescued by Navy pilots and pickup trucks

"“Most of these people didn’t have good conditions in their own homes,” he said. “But they came out to help.”

The hardships of the extreme weather, coupled with the pressure of the coronavirus pandemic, compelled the volunteers to do something tangible and positive amid the bleakness, Bellamy said.

“Things have been rough over the past year. It’s fun to see people come together focused on recovering these turtles. People just need it.”"