Rip currents kill dozens every year. What to do if you get caught in one

USA Today

5 days ago

Forecasters have warned that a former tropical disturbance making its way inland is making Gulf Coast beaches prime for rip currents, a deadly ocean danger that kills dozens every year in the United States.
Rip currents are the deadliest of surf-zone dangers, making up the majority of deaths among beach swimmers every year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since 2010, more than 800 people have died in rip current drownings.
So far in 2025, more than three dozen people have died form surf-zone hazards, most of which happened in rip currents, according to the data. Through mid-June, 21 people have died after being caught in rip currents. Most recently, 38-year-old former professional baseball player and father of three Chase Childers died in a rip current on July 13 while trying to rescue a family struggling in the water in South Carolina, authorities said.
Earlier this year in April, a 17-year-old boy died after being caught in a rip current at Lake Worth Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. A South Florida dad, Antwon Wilson, was recognized as a hero after he drowned on Father's Day while saving his daughter from a rip current, CBS News reported. Earlier this month on the Fourth of July, a North Carolina man visiting a South Carolina beach drowned after he and his 4-year-old son were dragged away by a rip current; the child was rescued, local station WIS 10 reported.
Is it safe to swim?: National Hurricane Center to publish rip current forecast map.
During the summer of 2024, four people died within a 48 hour span off of Panama City, Florida, one of the deadliest beaches in the U.S. due to rip currents. In 2023, Panama City rip currents claimed more lives than any other location in the country, according to National Weather Service data.
What is a rip current?
A rip current is a fast-moving channel of water that flows away from the shore and can drag a swimmer way out into the ocean. The narrow, strong currents flow quickly and perpendicular to the coastline.
They typically form at breaks in sandbars or near structures such as jetties or piers, according to the NOAA. They are found at all surf beaches, including beaches at the Great Lakes.
Their speeds can vary from moment to moment, and can sweep even the strongest swimmer away from shore. Average speeds are between 1 and 2 feet per second, but they've been recorded as fast as 8 feet per second. That's faster than an Olympic swimmer.
Most people who drown in surf hazards, including rip currents, are boys and men between the ages of 10 and 29, data shows. The deaths are most common in June and July.
Last year, 66 people were killed by rip currents in the U.S. and its territories, the data shows. At least 19 of those deaths happened on Florida beaches.
What to do if you get caught in a rip current
Rip currents are so dangerous because they can catch a swimmer off guard and cause them to panic while trying to swim to shore. The exertion causes fatigue before they are able to break free from the current, which continues to pull them out, experts say.
Officials say you should always check weather and water conditions before entering the ocean and always try to swim near a lifeguard.
If you do end up caught in a rip current, try to remain calm. The current won't pull you under, it will just pull you away from the shore. Don't swim against the current, because you'll risk tiring yourself out; instead, swim parallel to the shore and then swim back to land at an angle once you're free of the rip current.
How can you safely help someone else caught in a rip current?
Each year, stories of people acting heroically to rescue others from the water turn tragic when the rescuers end up caught in the rip currents and drown. Childers, the former baseball player who drowned over the weekend in South Carolina, "died trying to save others," police said.
If you see someone else struggling in a rip current, you should try to get help from a lifeguard, according to the NOAA's Rip Current Survival Guide. You can also throw something that floats to the person who needs help while you find a lifeguard.
However, the American Lifeguard Association warns that the U.S. is experiencing an ongoing lifeguard shortage, leaving beaches unstaffed or understaffed. If there is no lifeguard present and you see someone caught in a rip current, call 911. Try to direct the person to swim parallel to the shoreline to escape the current.