It’s every parent’s nightmare, not being able to help your child when they need it. When my children were younger, I was that parachute parent. However, as they passed the age of five, I did my best to let go a bit. The one place I’m still hyper vigilant about is the sea. All it takes is one unguarded moment for danger to strike. Two years ago, on the FIRST day of our Cornish getaway my son and I got into difficulty in the sea. On The Tiger Tales blog, I’ve posted on how to stay safe on the seaside and those tips kept us safe. However, on this occasion my son managed to go beyond me in the water, I swam to pull him closer. Before I knew it, we were in what I believe was a rip current. Let’s talk about seaside safety tips.
How I Got Out Of A Rip Current
Honestly at times it can be triggering to recall the events of that day. However, long story short, my son and I were stuck in a current. Although we were both kicking with all our might we made very little progress getting closer to the shore. Hubby returned to water; I pushed our son towards him. At the time, I thought I could make it out on my own. I didn’t realise how spent I was until I saw them getting closer to shore. Frankly, I wanted to cry.
Eventually, I decided to start floating , inorder to rest. Then, I heard the lifeguards over the speaker saying they were leaving for the day. The realisation that there would be no one to notice if things got really dire and hubby was with our kids one the shore forced me to calm down. Suddenly, the idea popped into my head to swim diagonal to the shore. Eventually hubby noticed and returned to the water with a bodyboard. When he was close enough to me, I’d finally made it out of the current and I could stand. Then, with his help and the bodyboard, I made it out of danger.
Seaside Safety Tips
Water confidence is key to wate safety but never underestimate the power of mother nature and the sea. There’s something about water that makes us lose our inhibitions and revert to our carefree childlike selves. Nonetheless, its vital to be vigilant.
I knew there can be dangerous currents in the sea BUT I never knew it was possbile to see them, let alone from the shore! Before setting off on an outing, select vibrant swimwear to be spotted easily (grownups and children), ensure that your mobile phone is fully charged. Once on the beach and you’ve set up camp; assess if the water conditions exceed your ability. Look out for rip currents.
Then on entering the water; take a moment to acclimatise to the water temperature. If you enter the water alone, there should be someone on shore, who can either see you or knows where you are, in the event of an emergency.
Going to the beach with children, they talk to them about the currents of the water and remind them, it’s not the same as being in a pool. Practice how to float with them, especially if they don’t swim regularly. I’ll admit, we had not practised in a while, before that event.
How To Get Out Of A Rip Current
Along with the above seaside safety tips, I’ll leave the video below for you to see how to get out of a rip current, if you get caught in one.
Did you find the seaside safety tips helpful? Comment below.
Stay safe. Have fun!
