Beach Safety

As summer is slowly coming to an end, many of us are still getting ready for those last minute vacations before school starts back up. Of course, we have all heard about the abundance of sharks and shark attacks this year. They have increased tremendously this year than they have in decades. However, there is another silent killer among the beaches that many people ignore. This is Rip tides or Rip Currents. This is a very powerful channel of water that goes from the shoreline all the way back to where the waves are breaking. What many people don't realize is that Rip tides are actually more common and kill more people each year than shark attacks do. One of the reasons they are so dangerous is because they can pull even the biggest of people down and into the water because they are so strong. If you do get caught in a rip current the best thing to do is to stay calm. Once it has pulled you in and back to the wave break, start swimming parallel to the beach. swimming towards the beach is only going to cause the tide to pull you back in. If you are not a good swimmer try floating on top of the water so that it does not continue to pull you under. If none of this works try to scream and wave your arms for the life guard or someone on the beach to notice that you are in distress and need help. If you are able to follow all of these instructions your time at the beach should be exciting and fun!