Dangerous Rip Tides at Sunny Cove Beach

Around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, paramedics of Central Fire Protection District responded to two calls reporting a distressed swimmer at Sunny Cove beach. The swimmer, a healthy male from out of town, was caught in a powerful rip current and taken out to sea far enough for his family and a stranger to both call 9-1-1.

As soon as paramedics arrived on the beach at the end of 18th Avenue, the swimmer had made his way close enough to shore to exit the ocean by himself. He was wearing a wetsuit and was not injured, according to Battalion Chief Steve Walsh of Central Fire. 

"A lot of people kind of panic in that situation. The rip is going to take them and if they just kind of go with it wherever it takes them they're going to be ok, it's a waste of their energy to try to swim against it," said Walsh. 

The surf is very high today, and Walsh says Sunny Cove is one of those beaches that sees rip currents often, especially during the winter months. Although rip tides also occur in the summertime, they are much more common in winter seas. 

"There's rips in a few areas around in there and it's a matter of how the swells are coming in, it may hit and it may not hit," said Walsh. 

Be careful swimming in the ocean this weekend, and if you feel yourself being swept away from shore do not risk a cramp or overexhaustion by fighting it. Swim parallel to shore or float on your back, and most importantly, do not panic—all rip currents come to an end.

Have a scary ocean story? Tell us in the comments!