ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WSFA) – It has been another deadly summer on the Gulf Coast, with rip currents already claiming several lives.
“It is a narrow channel of water that’s flowing away from shore,” Orange Beach Safety Division Chief Brett Lesinger explained. “So most water is coming on shore, this water will be moving away from shore which causes the hazard for folks.”
Rip currents are the number one weather related killer on the Gulf Coast. The deaths of 3 Alabama men Friday night came just a day after another man drowned in the same area and a mother and father got pulled out and died at another Florida beach.
While rip currents are always present, there are some signs to watch out for.
“A scalloped-out shoreline where it almost looks like an ice cream scooper just took a chunk out of the shoreline,” Lesinger warned. “Then, there’s that deep dark blue or dark green area, you want to stay away from the dark blues and greens, that means deeper water and it could also mean a rip current.”
So what do you do if you’re caught in a rip current? Your first reaction may be to panic and fight back, but that could be a death sentence. Officials advise you to go against that urge.
“The number one thing that we want people to do if they feel like they are caught in a rip current and they are struggling is to quit fighting the rip current and try to relax,” Lesinger emphasized. “That will allow you time to holler for help and it will also extend the time that emergency services can get there to you quicker.”
If you’re on the beach and see someone struggling, officials warn you not to jump in and try to save them. If there is no lifeguard, call 911 and throw them something that floats.
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