Beach Safety

 What is a Rip Current?  

• Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the United States. 
• Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer. 
• Panicked swimmers often try to counter a rip current by swimming straight back to shore—putting themselves at risk of drowning because of fatigue. 
• Lifeguards rescue tens of thousands of people from rip currents in the U.S. every year, but it is estimated that 100 people are killed by rip currents annually. 
• If caught in a rip current, don't fight it! Swim parallel to the shore and swim back to land at an angle.

How to Identify a Rip Current

• Darker color surf, indicating deeper water
• Murky brown water caused by sand stirred up on the bottom
• Smaller unorganized waves, alongside more evenly breaking waves over a sand bar
• Waves breaking further out to sea on both sides of the rip current

How to Help Someone Caught in a Rip Current

• Notify a lifeguard
• Have someone call 911, give accurate landmarks
• Do not enter the water, you too will be caught in the current
• Throw them a flotation device
• Try not to lose sight of the victim

What To Do If You Are Caught in a Rip Current

• Don’t panic or swim against the current
• Relax, float with the current until it dissipates
• Swim parallel to shore and back in
• Of course, the best way to avoid a rip current is to know the surf conditions before entering the water!
• Know the conditions and watch the flags!