Two people from Louisiana had fatal accidents in the Florida panhandle during the aftermath of Ida; the cause: rip currents.
With an active hurricane season, Florida is warning visitors of beach conditions being too dangerous for swimming.
One of the Louisiana drowning victims, an Oakdale man, 58, was unable to swim back to shore in the powerful current. The other victim, a 14-year-old boy, was found 1.5 miles away from the place he went missing.
Here are some tips for how to escape rip currents, per the National Weather Service:
- Relax. Rip currents don't actually pull you under.
- A rip current is faster than an Olympic swimmer; trying to swim against a rip current will only waste energy.
- Do not try to swim directly into to shore. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current's pull. When free from it, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
- If you feel you can't reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help. Remember: If in doubt, don't go out!
- If possible, only swim at beaches with lifeguards.
- If you choose to swim on beaches without a lifeguard, never swim alone. Take a friend and have that person take a cell phone so that person can call 911 for help.
Read full storyhere.
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