Boy who passed out in deadly ocean waves celebrates miracle birthday inside Trump Oval Office
President Donald Trump welcomed a teenage lifeguard and the young boy he rescued to the Oval Office, honouring their dramatic encounter after the child was pulled unconscious from dangerous ocean waves. The visit turned into a celebration of the boy's birthday, marking what his family described as a miraculous recovery following the near-drowning off the coast of Santa Cruz, California.
Ten-year-old Nathaniel Rai had passed out in the surf before being saved by a quick-thinking teenage lifeguard, and he was later joined by his father, Sumit Rai, in appearing on Fox News to recount the ordeal and their meeting with the president. The White House visit gave the family the chance to publicly thank both Trump and the young rescuer for their roles in the boy's survival.
- Trump hosted a rescued boy and his teen lifeguard saviour at the White House
- Nathaniel Rai, 10, nearly drowned in Santa Cruz ocean waves
- The Oval Office visit doubled as a birthday celebration for the boy
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Santa Cruz is a coastal city in California, where powerful surf can make swimming dangerous. Lifeguards watch the water and help people in trouble; a person who is pulled from the sea unconscious may need urgent medical care.
Nathaniel Rai was ten when he got into difficulty in the waves, and a teenage lifeguard pulled him from the water. His father, Sumit Rai, later spoke publicly about the rescue and the family’s gratitude. The Oval Office is the president’s formal workplace in the White House, where visitors are sometimes received for recognition or meetings.