Beach Safety Experts Warn of Dangerous Rip Currents as Drownings Rise

As vacationers flock to beaches this summer to cool off in the surf, experts are warning of a heightened risk of deadly rip currents that can sweep swimmers out to sea. 

At least 27 people have died in rip current drownings in the US this summer. Ten of those deaths have occurred in Florida. And most of those ten have been in Panama City. It's home to the country's most lethal beach due to rip currents.  

Rip currents are extremely strong, narrow flows of swiftly moving water. They appear between breaking waves. They can quickly tug swimmers away from the shore at rates of eight feet per second. Even the most advanced swimmers can get into trouble in rip currents.

“If you’re caught in one and you try to swim straight in, you’re not going to be able to,” Daniel Barnickel of Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue told The Associated Press (AP). 

Yet panicked swimmers often make that mistake by trying to swim against the current. They become tired as they’re pushed further away from shore. Water safety experts advise swimmers who get caught in them to remain calm and try to swim parallel to the beach. Once out of the rip current, follow the waves into the shore, they say.

It’s possible to spot rip currents from the shore. Along with breaks in the waves, their surface can appear still. Sometimes it’s a darker color or foamy. The sight of foam or floating objects moving quickly away from the shore instead of towards it is a clear sign of trouble.

In his AP interview, Barnickel advised beachgoers to “never swim alone. And always make sure that there’s an adult. And make sure that you don’t overestimate your abilities. Know your limits.” 

Reflect: What are some important safety tips for enjoying activities in natural bodies of water like oceans or lakes?