May 2014 (ROTM#65) Stanwell Park, NSW, Australia

This is not the first time I've used a picture from this beach because it's close to where I live, but it's the first time I've ever used a picture of an actual rip current that almost resulted in a drowning.

There are two rip currents in this picture. One is the dark gap between the sandbanks pretty much straight out from the creek inlet. The second is the wider dark gap to the left of the photo. It was almost low tide when this picture was taken and you can see that there are deeper alongshore channels feeding into the main rip channel from both directions. Both bars are shallow and almost exposed and the waves aren't that big. Basically, to someone without a good knowledge of what rips look like, it looks relatively safe, but the setup is in fact extremely dangerous with wave breaking around low tide being enhanced, driving the flow of water from the feeders to the rips and beyond.

The day before this picture was taken, a local went for an evening swim only to find himself carried offshore in the rip on the left. A bystander went to help him and also got in trouble and both were ultimately saved by 3 nearby surfers. It was an extremely close call as the initial victim had passed out and slipped underwater for several minutes. Thanks to the surfers ability to find him and their experience with CPR, he was saved, but a helicopter needed to be called to the scene. This picture was taken by Genevieve Swart who is an editor of the local 2508 District News magazine who have an in-depth story on the incident in their recent issue 

However, there's a lot in this story. It was the first day the Council Lifeguard hours had been reduced. If they had been there, no doubt the man would have been rescued more quickly. Almost all rip current drownings happen in the absence of lifeguards.

The man was also saved by the actions of bystanders, yet one of the bystanders got into trouble himself. This raises the question: how well are we educating people how to react and respond correctly when they see someone in trouble in the surf?

Finally, the man who got caught originally did all the right things. Once he realised he was in a rip, he relaxed, stayed calm, floated on his back and faced the waves and yet he was overcome by breaking waves and still got in trouble. This really shows that every rip current experience is different. No single piece of advice will work for all people in all situations. It really comes down to learning how to spot rips and avoiding them.

Taken a day after a near drowning