Heading to the beach? Weather service warns of 'dangerous rip currents' through Tuesday evening

Carol Rose, Palm Beach Daily News
·2 min read
College students bask in the sun during spring break on Midtown Beach on Thursday.
College students bask in the sun during spring break on Midtown Beach on Thursday.

With many Palm Beach County students out for spring break and a number of college students in town for the same reason, the National Weather Service on Monday issued a warning for "dangerous rip currents" along the county's shoreline.

The warning, which took effect at 1:46 a.m. Monday, ends at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Swimming in a rip current can be extremely dangerous, Palm Beach EMS Division Chief Sean Baker told the Daily News Monday, noting that "rip currents are strong, narrow channels of water that flow away from the shore and can quickly carry swimmers out to sea."

They can be challenging to spot, and even the strongest swimmers can become exhausted and unable to swim against the current, Baker said. Rip currents are responsible for the majority of beach rescues in Palm Beach, he said.

"The Palm Beach ocean rescue team strongly advises swimmers to always swim near a lifeguard and to pay attention to warning signs and flags posted on the beach. If caught in a rip current, swimmers should remain calm, conserve energy, and swim parallel to the shore until they are out of the current. Everyone must understand the potential dangers of rip currents and take necessary precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable beach experience," Baker said.

More:1 person dies, 6 taken to hospital after rip current incident in Palm Beach

Last May, a 47-year-old Palm Beach County man died and six others, including a police officer, were taken to a hospital after swimmers who had gone into the ocean at Midtown Beach encountered rip currents. All six people taken to the hospital had non-life-threatening injuries. The police officer had been assisting with the rescue, officials said.

More:Palm Beach was site of 2 of 5 Florida drownings linked to rip currents this year

In February 2021, two sisters caught in rip currents were rescued at Midtown Beach.

If you get caught in a rip current:

  • Remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.

  • Never fight against the current.

  • Think of it like a treadmill that cannot be turned off, which you need to step to the side of.

  • Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim at an angle — away from the current — toward shore.

  • If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim toward shore.

  • If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving your arm and yelling for help.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Weather service warns of 'dangerous rip currents' through Tuesday evening