We all love to go to the beach with our family and friends, right? Playing in the waves and swimming is a wonderful pleasure. But did you know that this beautiful, blue sea can sometimes be a deadly danger that you can't even imagine? This risk is especially high on beaches where there are no lifeguards. Today we are talking about one of the most hidden, but most serious dangers. That is rip current .
That terrible day on the beach
This is a true story about two people named Larry and Sandy. Sandy is the director of the international health website WebMD.
They had gone to the beach around 4 pm that day. At that time, there were red flags on the beach, but no one had told them that this meant "dangerous - swimming in the sea is strictly prohibited." The sea was a bit rough.
According to Sandy, "The sign near the red flag said 'dangerous rip tides'. But nowhere did it say that these tides could occur so close to the shore. A police officer drove through the crowd, but didn't give any warning . There were many other families playing in the water all day, just like us. They were all in danger."
Sandy and her two children, Ryan, 12, and Krista, 9, were only ankle-deep in the water. Ryan was playing in the shallows with his "boogie board." Sandy went home around 6 p.m. to prepare dinner.
"Ten minutes later, the two kids ran into the house screaming. They said Ryan was in the water, and that Dad had gone to save him, but Dad couldn't get out either," Sandy says.
"I ran to the beach. As I ran, I saw a helicopter coming. The police arrived at the same time. I saw a group of people trying to pull someone out of the water. I thought, 'Oh my God, that's Larry.' Then I saw another person floating in the water."
"It all felt like a dream. At one point I screamed to the sky, but mostly I just stood in the water and prayed. I saw someone in red shorts being brought to shore and they were giving me first aid . Then I saw another person floating face down in the water. I knew. It was Larry. Larry was dead."
What exactly is a Rip Current?
How did a healthy child and two well-grown men get into such trouble in knee-deep water? The answer is Rip Current . Some people mistakenly call these undertows. But this does not pull you under the water.
Simply put, this is what happens:
1. Imagine a windy day. This wind causes big waves to come to the shore.
2. These waves break over a sandbar ( sand bar) near the shore and collect water on the shore.
3. Even though this accumulated water tries to return to the sea, the water is trapped by the continuous waves and that sandbar.
4. Eventually, tons of this trapped water flows sideways along the shore. We call this the longshore current . If you've ever been swimming in the ocean and drifted far away from where you left your stuff, you've been caught in this.
5. As it flows towards the water, all this trapped water suddenly flows back towards the sea from a weak spot or a break somewhere in the sandbank. Just like when you open the mouth of a basin, the water suddenly flows down.
6. This fast, narrow waterway is called a Rip Current . It can be faster than even an Olympic medalist swimmer.
The most dangerous thing about this is that, for those playing in the shallow water inside the sandbar, it feels like a very peaceful and safe place. But suddenly, a break in the sandbar pulls them out to sea.
How do you recognize a Rip Current?
The best thing to do is to recognize this danger early. Many people are fooled by the fact that a rip current usually looks very attractive and calm. Check the table below for these signs.
| Sign | Description |
|---|---|
| A quiet or flat area | If there are waves breaking all around, but only one spot has no waves and the water looks still, it could be a rip current. |
| Water color change | A narrow waterway that appears a deeper blue or muddy color (due to sand mixing) than the surrounding water. |
| Foam/debris heading towards the sea | If you see foam, seaweed, or other things drifting out to sea instead of coming to shore, that's also a sign. |
| A change in the pattern of wave breaking | If the waves coming to the shore do not break in just one place, but appear to move across it, it could also be a rip current. |
What to do if you get caught in a Rip Current?
This is the most important thing. No matter how deadly this is, if you stay calm and know exactly what to do, you can survive.
- The most important thing: Don't panic! Stay calm. If you panic and struggle, you'll get tired quickly.
- Never try to swim against the current (towards the shore). This is the biggest mistake many people make. No matter how good a swimmer you are, you can't swim faster than this current. You'll just get tired.
- Swim parallel to the shore. Imagine you are being pulled along a road. Instead of running straight ahead along the road, jump out of the way. It's like swimming sideways along the shore, along the water.
- As you swim a little further to the side, you'll notice that the water is getting shallower. Then you can swim back to shore with the waves.
- If you can't swim, try to float in the water without panicking. The water will take you a little further out to sea and you will lose your grip. At that point, shout for help.
How do you save someone stuck in water?
As in Larry's story, it's often not the person who gets stuck first who gets hurt, but the people who try to save them. So keep these points in mind.
There's no point in going to save one person and losing two more lives. So don't jump into the water on your own.
- Call for help immediately: If there is a lifeguard, tell him/her. Or shout to those around you. Call the police emergency number 119.
- Do not jump into the water: Unless you are a trained, competent swimmer, do not jump into the water for any reason.
- Throw something floating: Throw something floating (life jacket, boogie board, large sealed cooler box, large plastic bottle) to the person who is stuck in the water.
- Give advice from shore: Shout to stay calm and swim parallel to the shore.
- Do not form human chains: This is very dangerous. It can also endanger those at the end of the chain. If the chain breaks, several others will be in danger.
After retrieving a person in distress, if they are not breathing or unconscious, they should be given first aid immediately and taken to the Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) .
Take-Home Message
- Rip Currents are the most important and deadly hazard on a beach. It is essential to be aware of this.
- Before going into the sea, look carefully for signs of a rip current (still areas, changing water color).
- If you are caught in a rip current, do not panic and swim parallel to the shore . Never swim against the current.
- Do not jump into the water to rescue someone who is drowning. Instead, throw something floating, give instructions from shore, and call for help immediately.
- Always make sure to swim and play in the sea only at beaches with lifeguards . That's the safest thing to do.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න