What to know about rip currents and how swimmers caught in one can escape

PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Stinging jellyfish, whip-tailed rays and hunting sharks are some of the ocean hazards that typically worry beachgoers. But rip currents are the biggest danger and cause the most beach rescues each year.

Six people drowned in rip currents during a recent two-day stretch in Florida, including a couple vacationing on Hutchinson Island from Pennsylvania with their six children and three young men vacationing in the Panhandle from Alabama, authorities said.

According to the American Life Saving Association, about 100 people drown each year from rip currents on American beaches. And more than 80% of beach rescues each year involve rip currents.

Two parents died after being caught in a rip current off a Florida beach. (WPBF, MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, CNN)

The National Weather Service lists 16 known deaths so far in 2024 from rip currents in U.S. waters, including deaths in Florida as well as eight deaths in Puerto Rico and two in Texas.

Here are some things to know about rip currents:

What is a return current?

Rip currents are narrow columns of water that flow quickly away from the beach, like a fast-moving current in the ocean. They do not pull swimmers underwater, but can carry them quite a distance from shore.

Low spots along the beach or areas near piers or docks are often where rip currents form. They can be linked to storms, but also sometimes occur on sunny days. They can be difficult to detect because the water surface often appears calm.

The current can flow at a speed of 3.2 meters per second (eight feet per second), a speed that even a good swimmer cannot overcome, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“If you get caught in one of these and you try to swim straight out, you’re not going to be able to make it,” said Daniel Barnickel of Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue.

How can we escape a rip current?

The most common advice from beach rescue teams and meteorologists is not to panic and look for an opportunity to swim parallel to the shore until the swimmer is out of the grip of the rip current. It will eventually dissipate but could leave the swimmer in deeper water.

It is almost impossible to fight the current directly. According to lifeguards, many swimmers in difficulty exhaust themselves trying to get back to the beach. If possible, it is best to swim near a first aid station.

“Most of our rip current rescues happen outside of patrolled areas because we’re not there to prevent that from happening,” Barnickel said.

What warning systems exist for rip currents?

Flags of different colors are used to warn swimmers of various dangers.

Three flags warn of surf and rip current conditions. Red means high danger, yellow means moderate threat, and green means low danger. There is also purple for dangerous marine life, such as jellyfish, and double red when a beach is closed for any reason.

The National Weather Service publishes rip current risks around the coast on its websites and has developed a computer model that can predict when conditions are favorable for them to form up to six days in advance for the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Guam.

“Before this, forecasters manually predicted rip currents across much of the ocean twice a day and only a day or two in advance. The earlier forecast has the potential to dramatically increase awareness and reduce drownings,” Gregory Dusek, a NOAA scientist who developed the model, said in a paper posted on the agency’s website.

High-risk warnings were issued at most Florida beaches last week when the drownings occurred.

Should someone attempt a rip current rescue?

Trying to rescue someone caught in a rip current can be dangerous, authorities say. Often, those attempting the rescue can find themselves in trouble.

It is best to find a lifeguard, if available, or call 911 if a swimmer in distress is spotted. People on shore can also try to tell the person to swim parallel to shore.

“Never swim alone. Always make sure an adult is present. Be careful not to overestimate your abilities. Know your limits,” Barnickel said.

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Associated Press video journalist Cody Jackson in Palm Beach contributed to this report.