Coast Guard rescues seven swimmers from rip current
The Coast Guard rescued seven people caught in a rip current off Blind Pass on Sanibel/Captiva islands in late July.
Watch standers at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., received a report from Lee County Sheriff’s Office on July 28, regarding seven people who were reported caught in a rip current and dragged off the beach into the ocean.
At 2:45 p.m., a Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach 33-foot Special Purpose Craft – Law Enforcement Boat crew was launched, arriving on scene at 3 p.m.
The boat crew safely pulled the seven people from the water and transported them to South Seas Plantation Marina.
No injuries were reported.
If caught in a rip current:
– Remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly
– Never fight against the current
– Swim out of the current parallel to the shoreline. When out of the current, swim at an angle away from the current towards shore
– If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore
– If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving your arms and yelling for help.