What you need to know if you get caught up in a rip current
According to researchers from UC San Diego, eight out of 10 people who have to be rescued from the ocean were caught up in a tip current.
Along the Gulf Coast, rip currents claimed at least 11 lives over 10 days last month.
Swimmers get complacent, getting in over their heads as they take a dip.
Rip currents can form anywhere, in good or bad weather. They're narrow, fast-moving channels of water that flow away from the shore.
With many heading to the beach this summer, here's what you should do if it happens to you.
Stay calm and don't fight the rip. Swim sideways, down current and once you land on a sandbar, you'll be able to swim right in.
There are, however, some myths about rip currents.
The first one being they suck you under the water. This is not true as they actually carry you out to sea.
Other myths include you can always see a rip current and some that are called flash rips can form within seconds.
