A routine day at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz turned tense within seconds over the weekend.
Video shows a lifeguard fighting through sudden, heavy surf to reach a young boy who had been pulled out by the waves, with nearby beachgoers jumping in to help alert lifeguards to the danger. The boy was brought to shore safely, and no injuries were reported. Scott Vander Dussen filmed the rescue and called it the most intense rescue he's ever witnessed.
Santa Cruz State Parks officials say lifeguards performed 34 rescues and made roughly 5,000 preventative contacts with beachgoers over the same weekend, a reminder of how quickly conditions can turn even on a calm-looking day.
