OCEAN CITY, Md.- Thursday was the calm before a storm that is expected to produce high waves and dangerous conditions for surfers and swimmers.Â
Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin explains how high risk rip currents are created.
"You go down the beach. There's so much water coming across the sandbar. The tide is right," Arbin said. "So that high pressure water is going into the trough and it has to make its way back out."
Some parents like Bryce Grissom are keeping their children at the hip in the water even when conditions aren't so bad.
"It was pretty rough last night and today," Grissom said. "I'd say some pretty good waves. So any time we are out there we are holding hands and you know either jump in, dive in, or fighting through the waves."
Alice Cary who is visiting from Massachusetts says there have been many drownings in ponds by her and that you can never know what to expect.
"It can happen so quickly especially if you get caught or don't know how to swim or get pulled under," Cary said. "Yeah you really have to be careful."
It was off of 112th Street just weeks ago when a 17 year old boy was swimming and swept away by a rip current and drowned. Officials say this tragic incident is a reminder that rip currents can happen to anyone at any age at any time.
"The unfortunate thing is that 17 year old was only probably intended to be in waist deep water when the rip current started taking him out a wave boat and we didn't see him again," Arbin said. "That's very unusual. We don't typically have it that way."
When dealing with a rip current, Arbin says to follow the acronym "RIP". "R" meaning relax and don't panic. "I" meaning putting your hand in the air and getting the attention of a guard to help you. "P" meaning swim parallel to the way the current is pushing you.
That unexpectedness is what makes rip currents even more dangerous and why swimmers need to be safe this upcoming weekend.
