What should you do if caught in a rip current?

When caught in a rip current, swimming parallel to the shore is the most effective and safe method to escape. Rip currents are narrow channels of fast-moving water that flow away from the shore. By swimming parallel to the shoreline, a person can move out of the narrow channel of the current and into the calmer water, making it easier to return to shore.

Swimming against the current can be extremely challenging and exhausting, often leading to fatigue and increasing the risk of drowning. Similarly, swimming with the current may seem like a viable option, but it could lead a person further out to sea, where returning becomes even more difficult. Swimming perpendicular to shore may help to navigate away from the current; however, it might not be the most efficient method compared to the direct approach of swimming parallel to the beach.

Overall, swimming parallel allows for the quickest escape from the dangerous situation while conserving energy.