VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Several rip current rescues precede what’s expected to be an “extremely busy” Mother’s Day at Volusia beaches, according to Volusia County Beach Safety.
Nine people were rescued from rip currents on Saturday, Volusia Beach Safety said in a statement.
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As a national lifeguard shortage is felt in Florida, Volusia County announced in April that it sought to hire around 150 more part-time lifeguards, offering monetary incentives to new and returning rescuers.
Florida’s Atlantic beaches have historically presented a heightened need for water rescues when compared to Gulf beaches due to larger wave action. Rip currents, which are narrow streams of water moving away and oftentimes perpendicular to the shoreline, typically form at low spots or breaks in sandbars, as well as near piers or jetties.
While difficult to see with the naked eye, it’s still possible to spot a rip current, as well as to escape one should it ever drag you away from shore.
News 6 Meteorologist Jonathan Kegges put together the following guide on how to spot, escape from and help others trapped in rip currents:
How to escape-
It is important to note that rip currents do not drag you under water, they pull you away from the beach.
If you find yourself caught in a rip current, the most important thing to do is not panic as this can quickly lead to exhaustion. Getting out of a rip current is simple if you are thinking clearly.
- Do not swim against the current (i.e. straight back to the beach)
- Because these swiftly-moving channels of water are mostly narrow, about 10-20 feet, you can swim out of them by swimming parallel to the beach in either direction.
- If you find yourself not able to escape the rip current, calmly tread water. Rip currents tend to weaken offshore. Once you are in a weak point, swim back to shore.
- If you feel like you are unable to escape the rip current, face the beach and get the attention of a lifeguard or people on the beach by waving your arms and yelling.
How to spot a rip current-
It is easier to spot a rip current if you are up high.
- Look for a narrow gap of darker, calmer between breaking waves or whitewater.
- A channel of churning, choppy water.
- A line of foam, seaweed or debris moving out to sea.
If you see someone in a rip current-
Don’t become a victim yourself. Many have died trying to help.
- Get help from a lifeguard.
- If no lifeguard is present, call 911 and instruct the person to follow the shoreline to escape the rip current.
- If possible, throw the person a flotation device.
- NEVER enter the water without a flotation device.
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