According to Istat data on causes of mortality, in the last 18 years (from 2003 to 2020, the year of the latest available data), almost 7 thousand – 6,994, to be exact – have lost their lives in water due to accidental drowning. An annual average of about 400 people who drowned, which has dropped to 342 in the last eight years.
A survey by the National Lifeguard Society, reported by the Observatory for the development of a national strategy for the prevention of drownings and accidents in bathing waters, indicates that from 2016 to 2021, out of 1327 total drownings, 857 occurred on marine coasts and 470 in inland waters, therefore rivers or lakes, as dramatically occurred in the latest news stories.
Speaking of marine coastlines, one of the fundamental risks is the so-called rip current, or rip current, which causes approximately 35 percent of all drownings at sea, with an average of almost 50 victims per bathing season.
What is the rip current and on which beaches can you find it?
A rip current is a narrow, channeled ocean current that occurs mostly near sandy beaches or piers a short distance from shore, making it easy for swimmers to get caught in it.
Unlike other currents, the rip current travels in the opposite direction. It starts from the coast and moves towards the open sea, perpendicularly or at an acute angle to the coast itself, as explained by the US Ocean Agency (NOAA). Its motion literally drags swimmers towards the sea, and getting out of the suction can be difficult. The rip current, despite its small size and short distance from the shore, can in fact be quite powerful and can be fatal for children, the elderly or people who are not very skilled at swimming.
The rip current is often generated by the convergence of two currents parallel to the coast and in opposite directions, generating a return current at the point where they meet. How to recognize it? If some waves not far from the shore appear flat or less agitated, it is possible that in that point there is a rip current.
If you get caught in a rip current, NOAA provides some specific advice for getting out: “Don’t get agitated trying to fight the current. Instead, stay calm to conserve energy. Think of the rip current as a treadmill that can’t be turned off,” the US agency advises. To get out of the danger zone, you need to move sideways. “To escape the current, swim in a direction parallel to the coast; when you’re out of it, move at an angle toward the shore. If you can’t swim out of the current, float or – if you can touch the water with your feet – try to walk calmly through the water.”
To date, there is no complete survey of the Italian beaches most affected by rip currents, but the report published by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità contains a list of the coastlines where incidents due to this current are recorded or have been recorded. In particular, the affected beaches are: in Liguria, from Savona to Ventimiglia; in Tuscany, in various stretches from Bocca di Magra to Piombino (Versilia in particular); Lazio, almost all sandy stretches; Campania, beaches of Cilento; Sicily, south-east coast; Sardinia, west coast; Puglia, beaches of Salento; central-northern Adriatic, from Pescara to Trieste. Rip currents are rarely reported to bathers, so it is a good idea to become familiar with recognizing them and keep in mind the behaviors to adopt in case you end up in one.