There’s nothing quite like the Irish coast on a sunny day but with more of us heading for a dip in the ocean we should always remember to respect the water and know the dangers.
Rip currents, also known as riptides or undertows, are long narrow bands of water that can drag you quickly away from shore and out to sea.
Unfortunately the RNLI and Irish Coast Guard, for all the incredibly hard work they do, they can’t be everywhere at once. So you need to have a plan if you get caught by one. The good news is there’s a number of steps you can take if caught in a rip current.
Tullan Strand, Donegal (Credit Alison Crummy)
What should I do if I’m caught in a rip current?
- Don’t Panic. Try to remain calm. Keeping your wits about in a difficult situation is easier said than done but remaining calm will help you make smart decisions.
- Feet on the ground. In the initial stage, when close to the shore try to plant your feet on the ground. This is will help avoid getting dragged out to sea by the receding water.
- Call for help immediately. Get the attention of a lifeguard, fellow swimmer or people on shore. Shout, yell and signal. Get someones, anyones attention.
- Conserve your energy for swimming and staying afloat. If you’re making no progress reaching the shore you’ll need you energy for planning an alternative escape.
- Swim parallel to shore to get out of the current. Rip currents are typically narrow. Rather than swim against the current which will tire you, swim parallel to the shore to escape. The current will carry you further away from shore but you should eventually reach the currents edge and be able to swim back from there.
- Once you escape the current, swim diagonally back to shore, away from the rip current area
- Don’t panic. So important, we listed it twice. Remember you’re getting pulled away from the shore, not pulled underwater.
When out on the coast this summer be responsible and always respect the water. For more water safety tips visit the Irish Water Safety website.
