California State Parks, which employs the lifeguards at that beach, said the lifeguard saw the child get knocked down by a wave Saturday afternoon. The boy was swept about 15 yards (13.7 meters) into the ocean before the lifeguard made contact with him, the agency said. After reaching the boy, the young lifeguard dove into a coming wave while holding tight to the boy, who was going limp. Earlier this year a group of surfers in Santa Cruz swam toward a capsized boat and pulled six injured people onto their boards until emergency crews arrived. Several of the passengers were not wearing life jackets, according to an incident report from the Santa Cruz Fire Department.