Rip Current Safety
Lifeguards Share 'Flip, Float, Follow' Advice After 21 Rip Current Deaths This Year
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Rip currents have killed at least 21 people in U.S. waters so far in 2026, according to National Weather Service. The deaths are part of a broader toll — 31 total surf zone fatalities this year — that includes high surf and sneaker waves. Around 100 people drown from rip currents every year in the U.S., and they account for more than 80% of all beach rescues, according to United States Lifesaving Association.
Experts say panic is the biggest killer. The top advice from lifeguards and forecasters is simple: "flip, float, and follow." A rip current can move as fast as 8 feet per second — faster than an Olympic swimmer — so fighting it head-on is a losing battle.
How 21 People Died Before Summer Even Peaked
The deadly year started early. The first surf zone fatality was recorded on January 1 at Ocean Park Beach in Puerto Rico, according to National Weather Service. By May, 10 of the 21 deaths had occurred in Puerto Rico alone, including three men — ages 49, 50, and 58 — who drowned simultaneously at Cueva del Indio on May 10.
The Gulf Coast joined the toll on May 24, when an 11-year-old boy drowned at Surfside Beach, Texas. Then in early June, deaths hit New Jersey's coast — Ocean City, Wildwood, Seaside Park, and Ship Bottom all recorded fatalities within weeks, according to Associated Press.
Trying to Save Others Is Getting People Killed
One of the most alarming trends of 2026 is bystander deaths. In April, two adults — ages 34 and 42 — drowned at Cocoa Beach, Florida, while trying to rescue a child caught in a rip current, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Safety officials now point to this incident to warn people against jumping in without training.
About 90% of rip current victims are male, according to National Weather Service. Wyatt Werneth of the American Lifeguard Association says a nationwide shortage of lifeguards is making things worse. Brevard County, Florida, alone had 45 open lifeguard positions during peak 2026 season, leaving long stretches of beach unprotected.
Flip, Float, Follow: The Survival Method Lifeguards Are Pushing
The old advice — "swim parallel to shore" — is no longer enough, experts say. The new method is "flip, float, and follow." First, flip onto your back to keep your airway above water. Then float to conserve energy and calm down. Finally, once calm, swim at an angle away from the current — or let it carry you out until it weakens, then swim back in.
Douglas Hilderbrand of the National Weather Service calls rip currents "drowning machines." They form fast, often with no warning, and look like calm patches of water between waves. Lt. Charlie Knight of San Diego Lifeguard Marine Safety describes them as "rivers" flowing away from shore, adding that your odds of survival drop sharply once exhaustion sets in.
Sharks Get the Headlines, Rip Currents Get the Bodies
Rip currents kill far more people than sharks, yet they rarely get the same attention. Sharks caused just 2 deaths in the U.S. in 2023, while rip currents killed over 100, according to TIME. The odds of drowning at a beach with a certified lifeguard are just 1 in 18 million, according to the American Lifeguard Association — a number that shows just how deadly unguarded water can be.
Florida has responded with new legislation. Senate Bill 606 now requires hospitals and short-term rentals to share water safety information with guests. Meanwhile, some beaches are testing "Smart Rescue Stations" — emergency rings that automatically call 911 via GPS when pulled, designed for beaches with no lifeguard on duty, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
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