Florida rip current safety: Why first responders say you should 'go with the flow'

TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. - Florida weather can change in a minute and from Feb. 2-6, local and state leaders are promoting Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week to inform the public about severe weather and encourage proper preparation.

Tuesday’s topic was rip currents.

Bay Area officials say rip current incidents are pretty frequent in the Tampa Bay Area, especially since there are so many visitors. They say they want to make sure everyone knows how to stay safe.

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Treasure Island Fire Chief Trip Barrs says they get about a half a dozen reports of rip currents per year, many requiring rescues.

He said after any type of weather event, like a front or high winds, the water could be harder to swim in or more at risk of rip currents.

Dig deeper:

Chief Barrs says a rip current is a patch of calmer water between two sets of waves, and the water could be a little darker. It’s never a good idea to swim alone, he says, and when possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected beach, pay attention to beach warning flags and swim 100 feet or more away from piers and jetties to avoid rip currents.

If you get caught in one, don’t try to fight it and don’t panic.

What they're saying:

"Just go with the flow," Chief Barrs said. "Float on your back. If you can, paddle or swim parallel to the beach. There's no way you'll be able to swim against the current and not become fatigued. That's where we see a lot of folks get overwhelmed and fatigued and unfortunately, drown. So, if you get caught, just try to drift with it and gently paddle yourself parallel to the beach until you get out of the rip, and then you can swim back to shore. You can signal and waive and let people know you're in trouble, get 911 on the way, but don't try to fight the rip," he said.

It's advice echoed by Tre Lawson, part of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue’s Office of Emergency Management.

"If you're stuck in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore once you're out of it, sort of swim towards the shore. If you're struggling, try to float a bit, wave your hand, try and get someone's attention so that you can get assistance at that time," Lawson said.

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Keep an eye out for what’s around you, and have situational awareness, Chief Barrs said.

"Keep an eye on where you are, like what hotel you're behind, or remember what block beach walkover, dune walkover you came in. That way, when you do have to call 911, you have an awareness of where you are. We have a long beach, and to try to find exactly where a caller is at that needs help can be a struggle for us sometimes," Chief Barrs said.

What's next:

Barrs and Lawson said it’s a good idea to sign up for your county’s emergency notification system to get real-time alerts and information too. You can do that on most county websites.