Rip currents kill 4 in 48 hours: Panama City Beach on pace to be deadliest in US
Rip currents kill 4 in 48 hours: Panama City Beach on pace to be deadliest in US
Four tourists died in the past two days in Panama City Beach, Florida, putting the area on pace to be the deadliest in the nation for the second year.
As far as I understand, rip currents rapidly pull someone out to sea only. If someone finds themselves in one, the solutions are to either (a) swim parallel to the coast to get out of the rip current, then swim back to shore, or (b) stay calm, float, and wave for help. Regardless, nothing is forcing someone underwater. Are people that die in rip currents not good swimmers/floaters or panicking?
Growing up in Florida, I've known how to swim practically my whole life, which is pretty common here among natives. Are all these people drowning in rip currents this year visitors or transplants from other states like the the four unfortunate men in this article?
There are still waves. Imagine if the sea isn't calm. People already can't stay alive forever in the water. This might not be a "fresh" capable person after a long day of sun and swimming. Add the panic of rapidly being sucked out to open water. Even the strongest swimmers could succumb in certain conditions. Even if you get out how long can most people tred water and fight waves for?
I'm not trying to victim blame at all, so I'm certain there's something I'm not understanding. Seriously, a person can easily float in sea water for 30 mins no problem. My grandma would do it everytime we went to the beach. Fill your lungs up, lay back, slowly paddle your feet, and chill. It would be different with major waves, but the panhandle usually has pretty calm waters.
Fighting is exactly why they die. There's about no one that is strong enough to swim back.
I'm guessing panicking. And as the article says, these are tourists.