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Rules of conduct for life savers at sea: eddies and dangerous currents

In recent years, especially since the Corona period, the sea has become a popular refuge for many - people of all ages and audiences, visit the shores of the country to refresh themselves and enjoy the sea. However, with the increase in the number of bathers, the awareness of the dangers of the sea grew, chief among them - the strong currents, which are mistakenly called "eddies".

The rip currents - danger of drowning

Although the sea is a source of pleasure and amusement, we must understand that the greatest danger to bathers is actually the rip currents - currents that are naturally formed on the beaches, and are caused by a number of geographical reasons: the structure of the beach, the angle of impact of the waves and the weather - all of these can cause the creation of strong currents that can quickly sweep us to the depth of the sea.

A black flag marks the location of a rip current sweeping into the depths of the sea - Dado Beach - Haifa (Photo: Yaron Karmi)
Waters that seem "quiet", hide the dangerous current beneath them - a black flag marks the location of a rip current sweeping into the depths of the sea - Dado Beach - Haifa (Photo: Yaron Karmi)

What exactly is a vortex?

In many of the lectures I give, I come across sentences like "I didn't understand how I got so far from the shore", but in fact it is a current created in a certain state of waves, the simple explanation is that the words "eddy" are very common in discourse about the sea, but in fact it is a breaking current - That is, a stream of water that sweeps the bather into the sea.

The direction of the rip current in which the boy was swept into the depths of the sea - looks quiet but this is a deep area with a fast and deadly current (Photo: Yaron Karmi)
A boy drowns in a rip current on a Tel Aviv beach - the red arrow marks the direction of the rip current in which a boy was swept into the depths of the sea - it looks "calm" but this is a deep area with a fast and deadly current (Photo: Yaron Karmi)

How do you identify the dangerous current?

The most obvious sign of such a current is a wave with foam that stops foaming in a certain area. When there is a section of sea where there is no foam, this is actually where the strong current is at work, and this is exactly where the bather may find himself being carried downstream at great speed. The place without foam sometimes looks tempting - so calm and safe, but in fact it is extremely dangerous.

A large breakthrough current (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)
A large breakthrough current (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)

What to do when you encounter a hacking current?

The biggest fear in such situations is panic. When people get caught in such a current, there is usually a tendency to swim back towards the shore - which sometimes leads to greater distress, and fatigue to the point of drowning.

The most important thing to do is to keep calm and remember the following principles:

  • Do not try to swim against the current. If you have reached the current, try to swim sideways - across the sea, until you can get out of the current's path.
  • Clear if possible - Sometimes the fastest way to get out of such a current is to simply dive and get up on stable ground, and swim back to shore.
  • Let the current carry you. If it is not possible to swim to the side, let the current carry you for a few moments until it weakens, then swim towards the shore away from the current.

Where are there dangerous currents?

On almost every beach there is a chance of dangerous currents forming, especially when it comes to beaches with sandy soil. The student beach in Haifa, for example, is known as the "center" of such currents, and the Kiryat beaches also have permanent places where currents return every year.

But not only on beaches with certain geographical conditions these currents can be found. Any beach can hide dangerous currents, so you should always avoid bathing in places where there are no lifeguards or near areas where the waves create unstable conditions.

Black flags mark the location of a rip current sweeping into the depths of the sea - Dado Beach - Haifa (Photo: Yaron Karmi)
The canal - the area that seems to be the most "quiet" is the most dangerous place - black flags mark the location of a rip current sweeping into the depths of the sea - Dado Beach - Haifa (Photo: Yaron Karmi)

A story of survival: Summer 2014 Palmahim Beach

To emphasize the great importance of knowing the dangers, we can recall the survival story from 2014. That summer, a father and his family went with their three-year-old granddaughter to the undeclared Palmahim beach. Despite the father's warnings, his daughter entered the water with the girl, and a short time later a strong wave arrived that swept them into the depths of the sea and they were rescued unharmed by bathers.

The father, trying to save his family, also entered the sea, but he was quickly swept into the depths. "I tried to swim back, but I just kept moving away," the father said afterwards. "My strength ran out and I started to sink, all I could think of was what would happen to the girl and the granddaughter."

The father began to drown when suddenly a muscular swimmer, or probably a lifeguard who came from the declared beach together with another swimmer, rescued and dragged him to the shore. This whole story happened very quickly - and if he hadn't found the right assistance in time, the result could have been different.

A large breakthrough current (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)
A large breakthrough current (photo: Motty Mendelsohn)

Conclusion - safe bathing.

The sea is a beautiful and fascinating place, but it can be dangerous if not handled wisely. Avoid bathing in places where there are no rescue services, avoid the water in situations of turbulent waves or strong currents, and always remember - if you encounter a rip current, do not panic. Keeping calm can save lives.

Safe bathing - observe the safety rules!

contact: At watsapBy email

Motty Mendelssohn
Motty Mendelssohn
Marine researcher (diving, underwater photography) and marine and environmental ecology for 35 years. Lecturer in the field for about 20 years. You can order a lecture, or a series of lectures accompanied by unique and spectacular photos, taken during many years of research, in Israel and abroad, ecological tours within Israel and tours of the Dead Sea sinkholes • 050-7271157 • [email protected]

Articles related to this topic

11 תגובות

  1. Lucky you don't miss any of Moti Mendelsohn's articles,
    I learned so much in this article.
    So much knowledge that enriches the reader.
    Thank you for writing in a fascinating and clear way, combined with special and spectacular photos.
    Looking forward to the next article.

  2. The weekly scare corner is brought to you.
    This time not predatory animals with venomous stings and invasive fish -
    This time turbulence!

  3. Dear Motti, as usual you publish wonderful articles for us here that it is important for us as a public to know. The tips you gave about swimming when encountering a rip current were excellent! I'm sure it helped a lot of people. Cheers! Keep posting more wonderful articles!

  4. Mitzila Haim wrote that as someone who lives in Netanya near the beach, many people are unaware of these dangers. Even surfers are not always aware of this.

  5. Do not try to swim against the current. If you have reached the current, try to swim sideways - across the sea, until you can get out of the current's path.
    clear
    A life-saving trial...
    Thanks Muti!!

  6. A very interesting article about a situation I experienced about a year ago. Luckily I happened across the lifeguard's arbor, who gave me instructions on how to get out while swimming sideways until I reached safe ground.
    It is highly recommended that people read the article, internalize it and teach the younger generation and everyone who lives in Africa how to behave in such a situation.

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