What Are Rip Currents? Here's What to Do If You Get Caught in One

Rip currents along the shoreline can be dangerous if swimmers are not prepared for them. They have already killed 19 people in the United States this year.

When caught in a rip current, swimmers are pulled away from the beach and not underwater.

“They kind of push you away from shore,” says Gregory Dusek, a senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service.

Dusek tells News 12 that if you get caught in a current, it’s important not to panic.

“I know it sounds counterintuitive. People want to try to get back to shore, but you want to relax and float,” he says.

According to Dusek, swimmers should not exhaust themselves trying to swim against the tide. They must swim parallel to the beach until the ocean no longer attracts them.

Once this happens, people should swim towards shore at an angle and let the waves push them back.

Lifeguards and first responders say people should only go in the water if there is a lifeguard on duty.

The National Weather Service says a rip current warning is in effect through Sunday evening for areas along Long Island Sound, including Brooklyn and Nassau and Suffolk counties.