What if a rip current pulled you out?

You are swimming a few metres from the beach. Then the shore starts sliding away, and swimming hard toward it gets you nowhere. A rip current is a narrow channel of water flowing away from shore. Don't swim against it. A capable swimmer can swim along the shore until free of the pull, then swim back at an angle away from the current. If you cannot escape, relax and float or tread water. Wave and yell for help. Swim near lifeguards and follow their advice. Rip currents have been measured at 8 feet per second, faster than an Olympic swimmer. This is a fast measured case, not a typical speed or an absolute limit. This beach and person are imagined. The metre readout is illustrative and the timing is compressed. The heartbeat belongs to you. Sources: NOAA Ocean Service https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ripcurrent.html and NWS https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent-surviving and https://www.weather.gov/ohx/ripcurrents #Shorts #whatif #pov #ripcurrent #beach #ocean