10-year-old boy recounts near-drowning as family reveals friendship with California teen lifeguard hero

The 10-year-old boy who nearly drowned after being swept into monster surf in Santa Cruz, California, late last month is sharing new details about the harrowing rescue that led to an unlikely friendship between his family and the teenage lifeguard who pulled him from the water.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Nathaniel Rai said he lost consciousness and stopped breathing as 16-year-old California State Lifeguard Ryder Williams pulled him from the raging surf in a dramatic rescue captured on viral video.