10-year-old Nathaniel Rai has recovered from the dramatic July 25 incident at Seabright Beach, captured on viral video, in which he needed to be pulled from a set of violent waves by a 16-year-old lifeguard. But now he says he waded into the water because a woman named Anna was encouraging him to.

The rescued 10-year-old, Nathaniel Rai, was speaking out to the press this week, appearing on CBS Mornings this morning alongside his dad from their home in Dallas. Rai was vacationing with his mom in Santa Cruz on July 25 when the surf turned extremely rough, and he became trapped by powerful waves unable to get back to shore.

Rai was rescued by 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams, who has since been celebrated as a hero by many including President Trump, and Rai tells the Associated Press, "I think I have a bruise from him holding me so tight."

Speaking to CBS, Rai says, "Before the lifeguard came, I thought I was going to, like, die."

Nathaniel Rai's dad, Sumit Rai, said he's immensely grateful to Ryder for saving his son, saying, if it weren't for him, "Nathaniel wouldn't be sitting next to me here today," adding, "He was a second or two away from dying."

Nathaniel says the he was just standing in ankle-deep water when he got knocked off his feet, possibly by a rip current.

Ryder described seeing this happen and immediately springing into action to save the boy.

Speaking to CBS, Nathaniel mentions a woman named Anna who he apparently knew, saying he could swim in the water. "She told me I could swim in the water, and I told her I didn’t want to because the waves were too big. So I just stayed on shore," he says.

Sumit Rai tells the Associated Press, after speaking with the young lifeguard, “It turns out we have a lot of common interests and it’s kind of a small world in that sense."

Previously: Santa Cruz Lifeguard Who Saved Boy During Heroic Rescue Receives Invite to White House