When you get caught in a riptide?
When you get caught in a riptide? If caught in a rip current, signal for help in the direction of the Beach Patrol. REMAIN CALM. Do not attempt to move directly toward shore. Instead, move sideways across the rip current until free.
What happens if you get caught in a riptide?
A rip current is a narrow, fast-moving channel of water that starts near the beach and extends offshore through the line of breaking waves. 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.
Can you outswim a riptide?
Here we debunk 7 myths about this dangerous phenomenon: Myth: A strong swimmer can outswim a rip current. Fact: Measured at speeds up to 8 feet per second (more than 5 miles per hour), rip currents can be faster than an Olympic swimmer. Myth: Rip currents pull people under water.
How many people have died from rip currents?
On average, about 100 people die each year in the United States because of rip currents, although the number may actually be much higher, as the cause of death for many who are rushed to a hospital from is listed as “heart attack, says Leatherman.
Are riptides scary?
The outgoing tide pulls fast moving currents of water from an inlet with a barrier beach out to sea. These rip tides can also happen near a river mouth, a lagoon or small bay. It is very dangerous to swim in these types of inlets. Sailors can use them to their advantage when they go with the flow of the current.
Can rip currents happen in lakes?
However, the Great Lakes are so big that wind churns up waves and rip currents that can compete with those found in oceans. This year alone, 84 people have drowned in the five Great Lakes.