The producers and cast of Fox’s upcoming “Baywatch” revival honoured 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams during a visit to the programme’s set in Century City. Williams had recently saved a 10-year-old boy from dangerous surf at Santa Cruz, and the tribute linked the drama’s lifeguard theme to a real-life rescue.

The visit took place on the final day of full production for the first season, which is due to premiere in early 2027. Star Stephen Amell gave Williams a Season 1 crew jacket; his Santa Cruz rescue was his first as a lifeguard, and he went on to make four further rescues that day amid 8-to-10-foot waves and rip currents.