Should you let a rip current take you?
Should you let a rip current take you?
If you do get caught in a rip current, the best thing you can do is stay calm. It’s not going to pull you underwater, it’s just going to pull you away from shore. Always let a lifeguard make a rip current rescue, because often, the people that try to make rescues themselves end up being the ones who drown.
What is High rip current risk?
Low Risk: The risk for rip currents is low, however, life threatening rip currents often occur in the vicinity of groins, jetties, reefs, and piers. High Risk: Life threatening rip currents are likely in the surf zone.
How many deaths are caused by rip currents?
On average, according to the United States Lifesaving Association, there are roughly 100 fatalities in the United States each year attributed to rip currents. NOAA, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration put that number around 50 deaths every year.
Is undertow the same as rip current?
An undertow occurs everywhere underneath shore-approaching waves, whereas rip currents are localized narrow offshore currents occurring at certain locations along the coast.
Do rip currents happen in shallow water?
Rip currents usually develop close to the shoreline in very shallow water around a metre deep – just where beach bathers are usually found. As waves enter the shallow water they “shoal” – increase in height – and through their momentum they begin to force water towards the shoreline.
What is the risk of rip currents?
Low Risk: The risk for rip currents is low, however, life threatening rip currents often occur in the vicinity of groins, jetties, reefs, and piers. Moderate Risk: Life threatening rip currents are possible in the surf zone. High Risk: Life threatening rip currents are likely in…
How many people are rescued from rip currents each year?
There are over 30,000 rescues per year in the United States from rip currrents. Rip currents can be hazardous in waves that are only modest, as low as 2 or 3 feet high, conditions that make the surf look tempting to wade into.
What do you do if you get caught in a rip current?
If caught in a rip current, don’t fight it! Swim parallel to the shore and swim back to land at an angle. While the terms are often confused, rip currents are different than rip tides. A rip tide is a specific type of current associated with the swift movement of tidal water through inlets and the mouths of estuaries, embayments, and harbors.
Can a rip current push you hundreds of yards offshore?
Occasionally, however, a rip current can push someone hundreds of yards offshore. The most important thing to remember if you are ever caught in a rip current is not to panic. Continue to breathe, try to keep your head above water, and don’t exhaust yourself fighting against the force of the current.
