10 rip current rescues at North Carolina coast just as July 4th holiday week set to begin

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WNCN/AP) — Beach lifeguards at the North Carolina coast reported several people were rescued from rip currents at one island on Saturday, just as the Independence Day holiday week is set to begin.

The National Weather Service office in Wilmington reported that 10 swimmers were rescued at Wrightsville Beach by 3 p.m. Saturday.

The forecast for Saturday was a moderate risk of rip currents, which have left nearly 20 people dead in the United States this year, the National Weather Service said. So far, no victims have died in North Carolina, but there have been more than a dozen rip current rescues before this weekend.

Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue pulled swimmers from the water Saturday. Earlier this week, a Junior Lifeguard Camp was held at Wrightsville Beach, which is in New Hanover County just east of Wilmington.

A week before Memorial Day this year, there were 13 rip current rescues in Carteret County at Emerald Isle, which was also under a moderate risk for rip currents when those rescues occurred.

Rip currents are an important focus for authorities at the North Carolina coast, where nearly 200 rip current rescues took place in just four days during the July 4th week in the summer of 2024.

A moderate risk of rip currents is forecast for the rest of the weekend at Wrightsville Beach.

What is a rip current?

Rip currents are narrow columns of water flowing rapidly away from the beach, like a swift stream within the ocean. They don’t pull swimmers underwater, but can carry them out a fair distance from shore.

The current can flow as swiftly as eight feet per second (3.2 meters per second), faster than even a strong swimmer can overcome, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

How can someone escape a rip current?

The most frequent advice from beach rescue teams and weather forecasters is to not panic and look for a chance to swim parallel to the shore until the swimmer is out of the rip current’s grip. It will eventually dissipate but might leave the swimmer out in deeper water.

It’s nearly impossible to fight the current directly. Many swimmers who get in trouble tire themselves out trying to get back to the beach, lifeguards say. If possible, it’s best to swim near a lifeguard station.

The Associated Press contributed to this report