Rip current warning issued for P.E.I.

People swimming on P.E.I.'s North Shore should use extreme caution Wednesday because of rip currents, officials at the Prince Edward Island National Park are warning.

Dave Wagener of Parks Canada told CBC News weather conditions Wednesday are creating strong rip currents.

"The situation is we have strong onshore winds from the north, and that's creating big surf, which in conjunction with the sandbars in locations gives very strong rip currents, all along the North Shore," said Wagener.

Wagener said beach goers should swim only in supervised areas and never alone.

Rip currents occur when water blown on shore rushes back out to sea in narrow channels, creating currents too strong for people to swim against.

If caught in a rip current, swimmers should swim parallel to the shore until free of the current and then swim back to shore.