A rip current is essentially a strong current that flows through channels between sandbars and pulls the shore apart.
It can reach speeds of up to 8 km/h (5 miles), which may seem slow but is much faster than swimming.
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If caught in a rip current, it is challenging to escape. Many people caught in rivers perish from exhaustion while trying to swim against the current.
As per the Royal National Lifeboat Society (RNLI) in the UK, the best survival technique is to swim or walk parallel to the shore, moving away from the rip current instead of fighting it.
This article addresses the question (asked via email by Paula Griffin), “How do you escape the torrent?”
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