According to News Center Maine, beach goers need to be alert to rip currents that have kept lifeguards in Maine and New Hampshire busy performing rescues.

Recently eight kids were pulled from Scarborough Beach rip currents and 83 were rescued from rip currents at Hampton Beach.

The Maine Emergency Management Website describes a rip current to be like a treadmill that you need to step off of.

They recommend that you:

  • Stay calm
  • Swim by a lifeguard station.
  • Don't swim alone.
  • Conserve energy by not fighting the current, float or tread water until you can get out of the current and swim toward shore.
  • Swim parallel to the shoreline and try to swim out of the current at an angle to the shore.
  • If you are in trouble yell for help and wave an arm to get attention.
  • Check in with lifeguards or check for notices warning about rip currents when you are swimming at the beach.
  • Don't swim next to piers or docks where permanent rip currents can occur.

If someone else is in trouble get a life guard or throw a flotation device to the person. It can be a cooler, beach ball, boogie board or anything else that they can hold onto to keep them afloat as you give them instructions to leave the current. Be aware that trying to rescue someone on your own is very risky, many people drown trying to save someone else.

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