Many of us choose to head to the beach in the summer, and knowing the risks can ensure you stay safe while you are splashing about and sunning yourself.<br />Beachgoers are advised to be aware of rip currents, which are especially dangerous to swimmers.<br />Park Se-young has more.<br />Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing away from the shore at a fast pace, …and they can occur at any beach with breaking waves.<br />Swimmers that are caught in rip currents can get pulled away from the shore at speeds of up to one-point-six meters per second, …which is faster than an Olympic swimmer …and far too fast for swimmers to make it back safely to the beach.<br />In the U.S., about one hundred people drown in rip currents every year.<br />Lifeguards rescue another 30-thousand swimmers a year from the deadly currents.<br />Rip currents pose a threat in Korea as well.<br />In 2010, three deaths at Daecheon Beach in Chungcheongnam-do province were attributed to rip currents.<br />At Haeundae Beach in Busan, hundreds of people have been rescued after being pulled away by the powerful currents.<br /><br />Since 2011, the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency has been running real-time rip current detection systems at seven beaches across the country.<br />They first started with Haeundae Beach and are now running the system in Songjeong and Imnang beaches in Busan, Daecheon Beach in Chungcheongnam-do province, Jungmun Saekdal Beach on Jeju island …and Gyeongpo and Naksan beaches in Gangwon-do province. <br />Rip current forecasts are divided into four warning levels - notice, watch, warning and danger.<br />Warnings are posted on Korea's weather agency website so swimmers should check this information before heading to the beach.<br /><br />If you do get caught in a rip, stay calm and yell for help.<br />Instead of exhausting yourself by trying to swim against the current, stay afloat while waiting for help.<br />Swimming parallel to the shore towards breaking waves can help swimmers escape from the rip current.<br />Park Se-young, Arirang News.<br />
