AccuWeather's Melissa Constanzer shares essential tips on what to do if you're caught in a rip current.

Rip currents pose a significant risk to swimmers at beaches and even large lakes, with around 100 deaths annually in the United States attributed to them. Beach warning flags indicate various hazards, such as dangerous marine life or rough seas, and should be observed closely for safety.

If caught in a rip current, experts advise swimming parallel to the shore to escape the current, rather than attempting to swim directly back. Remaining calm is crucial to survival. If unable to escape, floating calmly and signaling for help is recommended. Bystanders should avoid entering the water to assist and instead throw flotation devices to those in distress.

Surviving a rip current

For many locations around the nation, we're in the height of beach season, and that means that we will be trying to head to a spot on the map that is blue. But if you're headed to an ocean or even a Great Lake, you'll want to use some caution venturing into the water. Hidden dangers can quickly become deadly. Let's start with some of the basics as you look at the colors of the flags here and you can see these on many different beaches. You can tell there is dangerous marine life. That's going to be the purple flags that you find. Often this will mean jellyfish. Occasionally it means sharks. If you're near fishing piers, for example, that's what it could also mean. Then you have your colors of green, yellow, reds, just like a traffic light, indicating the risk for rough seas, and particularly rip currents, which are very deadly. Unfortunately, United States Life Saving Association says there's 100 deaths associated each year by rip currents. What are rip currents? Well, you have all this wave action coming into the beaches. Eventually there has to be water that comes back out, and sometimes that comes in a big. Current or channel or river if you will, that goes out to sea. So how do we have to escape this? If you end up caught on this because it will just continue to pull you out to sea or in some cases the lake. What you want to do is swim parallel to the shore. That's your escape route here, and then try to work your way back in. That's going to be critical. Now remember to try to stay calm. That is the hardest thing to do, because usually when you start to experience the fact that you're drowning, the first thing is panicking. But if you can stay calm, then remember that escape route to swim parallel to the shore and then work your way in once you're out of that rip current. Of course, if you can't escape, remain floating calmly. Try to yell for help and wave and try to bring flotation devices around, especially if you're on the beach. Throw out flotation devices. Never try to swim out to someone that is struggling in the water.

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