Posted on 06/16/2016 11:51:06 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
Many of us look forward to a trip to the beach during the summer months – the sun, sand and water are all elements that we can savor. But there are dangers present along the shore, including rip currents.
A rip current is a strong but narrow current that flows away from the beach. Rip currents can form at any beach with breaking waves (including the Great Lakes). The speed of a rip current can exceed 6 miles per hour (faster than an Olympic swimmer) and can extend the length of a football field off the coast.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), about 100 fatalities a year across the nation are blamed on rip currents.
(Excerpt) Read more at weather.com ...
The times I got pushed around, I did my best to keep my face from being pushed against the bottom - never had the power to get up for air until it deposited me in the shallows - fortunately that was never more than 10 or 12 seconds in the area I generally body surfed - seemed like a minute or better though.
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