Risky rip currents lurk under calm seas
Placid-seeming rip currents can flare like a temper, towing swimmers into the depths. One man drowned at Huntington Beach two weeks ago, and another man is missing off La Jolla and presumed dead, authorities say.
Swells shifting from north to south build sandbars that cause rip currents. Sandbars channel water into river-like gushes, sweeping people away from shore.
Seemingly tranquil water masks dangerous rip currents. “The most dangerous conditions ... don’t look dangerous,” says Jerome A. Smith, an oceanographer at UC San Diego.
Early-season warm weather is attracting people to the beach. Seventy-seven rescues occurred at Huntington the week of April 12, lifeguards reported. Only 20 were reported in April last year.
The United States Lifesaving Assn. blames rip currents for 80% of the rescues at surf beaches.
Swimmers caught in an undertow should go with the current’s flow, then swim parallel to the shore before paddling in.
--Ashley Powers
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