North Shore winds cause strong rip currents

Parks Canada officials told beach-goers to stay out of the water because of strong rip currents at P.E.I.'s North Shore againFriday.

For the third day in a row, high winds fueled dangerous surf conditions that created rip currents.

Rip currents arecaused when high volumes of water rush back out to sea through narrow channels.

'It wouldn't matter if you're Michael Phelps out there some days.You're swimming against a water current, it's like trying to swim up river.' Tyler Reid, Brackley Beach captain

"When the wave energy is strong and coming in towards shore, in P.E.I. it gets trapped by sandbars, and it needs a route back out to the ocean again," said Arja Page, Parks Canada acting fire and visitor safety coordinator.

"Where there's a break in the sandbar, that's where the rip current forms and it pulls people out."

Across North America, around 100 people drown each year as a result of rip currents.

And, in the past five years, at least two of those drownings happened here on P.E.I.

"It wouldn't matter if you're Michael Phelps out there some days.You're swimming against a water current, it's like trying to swim up river. It's really tough and you just tire yourself out," said Tyler Reid, Brackely Beach lifeguardcaptain.

If you do get caught in a rip current, the worst thing you can do is try and swim against it and head to the shoreline, he added.

"If you ever feel like you are being pulled out, you want to let it take you out."

Lifeguards were out training inthe tough conditions Friday, so they're ready if someone does get caught in a rip current.

Staff at Brackley Beach say that's happened dozens of times in recent memory, often when the surf hasn't even been high.

"Surprisingly, on days like today, we do end up getting a few people coming out, looking to have some fun in the waves," said Reid.

"Even on rainy days like today, we'll probably see a few people come out with their boogie boards, and floatables, and different things and they'll try to splash around in the waves,"

Park Canada's main goal is to keep people out of the water when there's a high risk of rip currents. Lifeguards and signs take care of that at monitored beaches.

But Parks Canada's also working on an education campaign to help swimmers everywhere recognize they should stay on the shore when surf conditions are rough.