How far can a rip currents pull you out?

A swimmer can also let the current carry him or her out to sea until the force weakens, because rip currents stay close to shore and usually dissipate just beyond the line of breaking waves. Occasionally, however, a rip current can push someone hundreds of yards offshore.

What happens when you get stuck in a rip current?

If you’re caught in a rip current, the first thing to do is remain calm. A rip current won’t pull you underwater. It’ll just pull you away from shore. If you feel that you’re able to swim, do so parallel to the shore until you’re out of the current and then swim back to shore at an angle.

Can you escape a rip current?

swim parallel. The best way to survive a rip current is to stay afloat and yell for help. You can also swim parallel to the shore to escape the rip current. Rip currents stay close to shore and usually break up just beyond the line of breaking waves.

How many people get caught in rip currents?

On average, according to the United States Lifesaving Association, there are roughly 100 fatalities in the United States each year attributed to rip currents. NOAA, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration put that number around 50 deaths every year. In 2020, there were 65 rip current-related deaths in the US.

Can a rip current drag you under?

Rip currents are surface currents, not undertows. An undertow is a short-lived, sub-surface surge of water associated with wave action. It can drag you down, but it’s not truly treacherous because you won’t be held under for long.

What is the difference between a rip tide and a rip current?

Rip currents are narrow currents that occur in surf zones that result in water flowing away from the shore, typically near a break in a sand bar. Rip tides, on the other hand, are very strong currents that occur as the tide pulls out of an inlet.

Do lakes have undercurrents?

However, since there are no tides in the Great Lakes (needed to form a rip tide) and currents don’t pull a person down under the water (undertow), they are a bit inaccurate. Also, most people know that ocean currents can be dangerous, but don’t suspect that there are such strong currents in the Great Lakes.