Trump hosted Ryder Williams, Nathaniel and their families in the Oval Office. He praised the teenager’s courage and the training that helped him carry out the dramatic rescue.

“This is a great story. And it's an honor to be with Ryder Williams, who is a 16 year old lifeguard, California, the Santa Cruz area,” Trump said.

The President said he had spoken with Nathaniel about the ordeal.

“I said, would you have made it without him? And you said, not really, right, not really, it was trouble. So you're going to have a long and beautiful life,” Trump said.

The rescue attracted wide attention because of the violent waves. Trump said he had watched footage of it repeatedly.