President Donald Trump has praised a teenage lifeguard who went viral for rescuing a young boy from towering waves at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California, saying the youth deserves recognition at the White House. The rescue, captured on video, showed frantic scenes as powerful, tsunami-like swells battered the beach and tossed the lifeguard and other rescuers through crashing waves as they worked to save the child.

Footage of the dramatic rescue circulated widely on social media, drawing attention to the danger posed by the unusually large swells hitting the Santa Cruz coastline. Trump's comments, made on Tuesday, framed the teenager's actions as heroic and suggested the White House should formally honour him, though further details of any planned ceremony were not specified in available reporting.