The NSRI has shared a helpful video in the hope of educating the public and helping them learn to identify dangerous rip currents at SA beaches.
South Africa (13 September 2022) – Sadly, the NSRI has had a series of incredibly tough rescues that resulted in fatal drownings. These tragic events took place in areas where rip currents weaken even the strongest swimmers. In a plight to minimise these tragic events, the team is hoping to educate the public on identifying rip currents.
At present, rip currents along our coastlines are incredibly strong and put both swimmers and shoreline anglers at risk.
Rip currents can develop where there are breaking waves. Bigger waves produce stronger currents, and these “rivers” of current are produced by water moving from the beach back out to sea. They happen all the time at many beaches and are the biggest danger that visitors face in the water.
Often rip currents move slowly enough to barely be detected. But given the right circumstances of waves and beach profile, they can develop into currents moving at speeds of up to 2 metres per second – faster than any of us can swim.
As with all risks, avoiding rip currents altogether is the safest strategy; however, here are tips on how to spot a rip current:
- A change in the incoming pattern of waves (often the waves are not breaking in a rip channel);
- Water through a surf zone that is a different colour to the surrounding water;
- Turbulent or choppy water in the surf zone in a channel or river-like shape flowing away from the beach
- Seaweed, sand ‘clouds’ or debris moving out to the backline where waves are forming through the surf zone
Bathers are at risk of being swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming or wading in water along the beachfront. Even bathers wading in shallow water who find themselves trapped in a rip current that can form suddenly are also at risk of being swept at sea.
Bathers caught in a rip current should not panic; here is a simple video summarising all you need to know about rip currents. Take a look at the helpful video below that shares how to identify rip currents.
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