Home Care in Manchester-by-the-Sea

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Heading to the Beach Soon?

Remember to watch out for rip current risks.

One person will drown every two to three days this summer... 90% of those fatalities will be rip-related. Here are a few things that will help you and your kids stay safe this summer.

1. The easiest thing to remember is that often the safest/calmest most enticing looking area along a beach is usually a rip. A rip is usually the area devoid of wave activity and appears darker and deceptively calmer. It can sometimes appear milky or turbulent, but it is always pretty much void of wave activity.

2. Always take 5-10 minutes when you get to the beach to observe surf conditions and identify where these areas are.

3. If you are caught in a rip, DO NOT PANIC. Go into floating mode and raise one arm as a distress signal when possible. See which direction the rip is taking you, is it straight out or at an angle? once you have determined this, and if you have the energy, swim to the right or left of the direction of flow, never against. If you cannot swim out to either side of the rip, just go with it. Most rips won't take you out very far, and will usually spit you out not long after they take you, so keep calm and save your energy for the swim back to shore.

4. If you have kids, show them these pictures, educate them and make them aware.

There are many other factors that can come into play when it comes to beach safety, but rips are the No.1 killer. They are not hard to identify. So take the time to observe the serf conditions before entering the water. It could save a life.

Watch this helpful video for more information about rip currents and beach safety at bit.ly/2N8yySq ... See MoreSee Less