On the 17th of this month, on the same coast in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, a total of 2 people were temporarily swept offshore twice a day and rescued, according to an interview with the Japan Coast Guard. It is believed to have been caught in a "rip current" with a strong tide heading offshore, and the Japan Coast Guard is calling for caution.
According to the Fukuoka Coast Guard Office, in the early afternoon of "Marine Day" on the 17th of this month, a 4 call was received saying that four university students who had come to swim were washed off the coast of Oguchi Beach in Shima-Sakurai, Itoshima City.
A few hours later, another six people were reported to have been swept away on the same beach.
None of the people who were swept away were rescued by nearby surfers or returned to shore on their own, but some of them were swept several tens of meters offshore at one point, and when they were rescued, they were so weak that they could not walk on their own.
According to an investigation by the Japan Coast Guard, there was a strong offshore tidal current "rip current" on this coast at that time, and it seems that both cases were caught in rip currents.
Rifting currents have been confirmed in seas all over Japan, and the Japan Coast Guard is calling attention to rip currents by strengthening patrols.
In addition, we strongly urge people not to play in places without lifeguards and to take thorough safety measures such as wearing life jackets.
What is rip current?
According to the Fukuoka Coast Guard Office and others, "rip currents" are a phenomenon in which strong tidal currents occur from shore to offshore, and are likely to occur in places where the coast faces the open ocean or in places where the coastline is shallow and has a long coastline.
According to the 7th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, which has jurisdiction over northern Kyushu and other areas, 5 people, including those who died, were swept away by rip currents in the five years up to last year, accounting for 26% of all swimming accidents.
Also, on the 27th of this month, in Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture, a male high school student who was swimming and playing on a beach prone to rip currents was washed away, and later confirmed to have died.
If you get caught in rip currents
According to the website of the Japan Coast Guard, the tide of rip currents reaches 2 meters per second and tens to hundreds of meters in length, and once caught in it, it is difficult for even those who are confident in swimming to go against the current.
On the other hand, the width of the "rip current" is about several tens of meters at the widest, and there is also a current that goes toward the shore in the surrounding area, so even if you get caught, you will not panic, but will float until the current calms down to conserve your physical strength, and then you can escape by swimming parallel to the shore.
"Thorough safety measures"
In addition to rip currents, there are also cases where floats and boards are washed offshore under the influence of the wind, so the Japan Coast Guard urges people to be fully aware of the dangers lurking in the sea during marine leisure activities, and to take thorough safety measures such as playing on managed beaches with lifeguards and securing means of communication.
Kenji Takahashi, chief of the Fukuoka Coast Guard Department's Traffic Division, said, "There is a possibility of being washed away by rip currents and winds in any sea area, so be sure to swim in the swimming area where the lifeguards can see you.