Big C_Cal;842840046 said:
Please. Who here has ever died in a rip current?
I rescued two teenagers (both top youth swimmers from Moraga) from a rip current a few years back. After getting them clear, I struggled for a good twenty minutes before finally swimming accross and out. During the struggle, I was honestly concerned with my mortality, but growing up with rip currents, I remained calm, ignored how far out I had drifted, swam accross the current and then back in.
When I got to the shore exhausted, I lifeguard in a truck was waiting for me. I panted... "Why the heck didn't you help me out?!?!"
"I was watching you dude - you did perfectly! Saved those girls lives - I was ready to jump in if your head went down, but you seemed to be handling it"
Rip currents are real! The odd thing is that you aren't aware of being in a rip current - since ALL of the water around you moves with you. Next thing you know, you are 200 feet past the breakers and heading out to sea.