Danger of rip currents and what to do if you get caught in one
THE majority of lifeguard incidents on beaches in the UK involve rip currents, and they are the major cause of accidental drowning on beaches across the world.
The dangers were all too apparent at the weekend following the death of heroic dad Jonathan Stevens as he rescued two of his children from the sea at Barmouth when they got caught in one.
Last week the mother of 13-yearold Rian Lewis Bradburn, who was pulled unconscious from the water at Aberdyfi beach, Gwynedd, after being caught in a rip tide, thanked the emergency services for saving his life.
Claire Rees, 38, from Canton, Cardiff, got into trouble while swimming off a beach near Rest Bay at Porthcawl on Saturday, and warned about how quickly it happened.
“I’m a reasonably confident sea swimmer and had been swimming not far from the shore, as it was choppy, when I suddenly found that I’d drifted a little.
“So I started to try and front-crawl back to the beach, but the current was really strong.
“I’d gone from enjoying myself in the water to getting hit by large wave after large wave and being pulled under. I know how important it is to stay calm so I tried my best, but it was difficult.
“Luckily my friend was nearby. He’d seen the conditions had changed. I called for help and he pulled and then carried me out of the water.
“It’s been a sobering reminder of the power of the sea and how things can very quickly change.”
This summer, because of the coronavirus, the RNLI says that lifeguard patrols can’t be on every beach.
The RNLI also has important advice about rip tides and what you can do if you find yourself in trouble: What is a rip tide?
Rips are strong currents running out to sea, which can quickly drag people and debris away from the shallows of the shoreline and out to deeper water.
Many people believe they drag you under the water – in fact they pull you out to sea.
They tend to flow at 1-2mph but can reach 4-5mph, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer.
Rips are especially powerful in larger surf, but never underestimate the power of any water. They are also found around river mouths, estuaries and man-made structures like piers and groynes.
There are several different types of rip current, all formed in different ways.
They can be caused when wave heights change quickly, because of the different swells that creates, and they can also be formed at sandbar breaks, where water is channelled out to sea.
Strong rip currents can often appear next to structures such as piers and jetties.
Rip tides are often hard to spot, but are sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the sea’s surface.
The RNLI says that even the most experienced beach-goers can be caught out by rips, so don’t be afraid to ask lifeguards for advice.
The best way to avoid rips is to choose a beach with lifeguards and always swim between the red and yellow flags, which have been placed based on where it is safer to swim in the current conditions.
What to do if you get caught in a rip tide?
The RNLI advice is, don’t panic if you find yourself being swept out to sea.
Don’t try to swim against the tide – you won’t make any progress and you will use up valuable energy.
Instead, conserve your strength by floating rather than swimming against the current, and raise one arm as a distress signal.
Identify which direction the current is moving and swim to the LEFT or RIGHT of it – never against.
The riptide will ‘spit you out’ eventually – and as long as you’ve saved your energy, you can use it to swim back to shore in a gentle diagonal direction.
The RNLI says: “You may end up a fair way down the beach from where you started.”