With Hurricane Season well under way, and the recent activity in the Tropics, State Officials in Florida warn Residents and Visitors of the dangers of swimming in the Atlantic Ocean with strong Rip Currents.
Rip Currents can be 200 to 2,500 feet long but are normally no wider than 30 feet, and can not easily be seen. The current can move more than 5 miles per hour and knock someone off their feet in less than a foot of water.
Rip Currents account for about 80% of beach rescues, and many times people trying to help become victims themselves.
As the tropics churn in the waters of the Atlantic, surf is expected to pick up, and create powerful, dangerous Rip Currents along the coast through Friday.