MIAMI – The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for two teenage boys who were swept to sea by rip currents Saturday in South Florida.
A 15-year-old boy was swept to sea in North Palm Beach near McArthur Park and a 16-year-old boy was swept to sea north of Fort Pierce inlet, offshore Vero Beach, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
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"I want to advise swimmers, surfers and beachgoers to exercise caution at local beaches as there is a high risk of rip currents," said Capt. Michael Long, acting sector commander. "We continue to actively search alongside our partner agencies with hopes to bring the missing loved ones back to their families."
A rip current is a powerful channel of water that flows quickly away from shore. Coast Guard officials said they often occur at low spots or breaks in the sandbar. Any object or person caught in a rip current can be pulled out into deeper seas.
The Coast Guard said weather may have caused 3- to 6-foot waves with 20-knot winds, which makes for dangerous swimming conditions in the surf zone.
Authorities said anyone who may become caught in a rip current should not panic.
"The way to escape a rip current is to swim parallel to the shore," U.S. Coast Guard officials said. "Once you are away from the force of the rip current, begin to swim back to the beach. Do not attempt to swim directly against the current, as you can become easily exhausted, even if you are a strong swimmer."
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