Dangerous rip currents and high surf have claimed the lives of 57 swimmers at the nation’s beaches in 2023.
Many of the deaths were in the Gulf of Mexico, including 15 along the Florida Panhandle, according to preliminary information from the National Weather Service. In the past two weeks alone, rip currents have been blamed for seven deaths in Panama City Beach – the highest number of beach fatalities for any single location in 2023.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office shared photos of the trenches that powerful rip currents have created in the sand.
“You say you are a ‘good’ swimmer, an experienced swimmer, a competitive swimmer. But you are no match for a rip current,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Monday.
Where are rip current fatalities in Florida?
How a rip current works:
A rip current is a narrow, strong current that flows quickly away from the shore. The currents often flow perpendicular to the shoreline, moving water away from the surf and into the ocean.
Normally, as waves pile water onto the beach, the water flows back out to sea in a uniform way. A low spot in the ocean floor near the surf or a break in a sandbar can break that uniform return flow, causing water to rush through one area and create a powerful current.
Rip currents are generally no wider than 80 feet and travel about 1 to 2 feet per second. But rip currents have been recorded moving as fast as 8 feet per second, or about 5.5 mph, faster than any Olympic swimmer.
Though it’s often confused with a riptide or an undertow, a rip current is not the same, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. An undertow pulls under the surface, while a rip current flows out, not under. Rip tides are strong currents that appear when the tide pulls out of an inlet. Though rip tides can affect swimmers, they are more of a danger to boats.
What to do during a rip current
If you’re caught in a rip current:
- Relax; rip currents pull you out, not under.
- Swim parallel to the beach and not against the current.
- Float or tread water until you escape the current or are rescued.
- Draw attention to yourself by yelling and waving.
How to help someone else:
- Call a lifeguard.
- Dial 911.
- Throw the person something that floats.
- Don’t enter the water without a floatation device.
To avoid rip currents:
- Always swim at a lifeguard-protected beach.
- Check conditions before entering the water.
- Learn to identify rip currents.
- Ask hotels and rental companies where to find the closest lifeguard-protected beach.
