LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Rip current deaths are on the rise, which is why learning what to do if you get caught in one is an important lesson. Across the country from 2017-2023, there have been 435 rip current deaths; 143 of them happening in Florida. The most of any state.
“The best swimmers can get caught in a rip tide and can drown,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
To help keep swimmers and boaters safe on the water, The Lee County Sheriff’s Office marine unit patrols over 900 square miles of waterways. “Our marine unit is in full force. We have assets deployed all over this county. Jet skis, boats, a helicopter if needed,” said Sheriff Marceno.
“We go all the way up the Caloosahatchee River all the way to the other side of the Franklin Lock up into Alva, and we cover all this water way down by Sanibel. We go all the way down to Bonita Beach,” added LCSO Sergeant Matthew Ansell.
Over the last few years, Ansell said they have seen an increase in boaters, mainly because of vacationers. “A majority of the people that come down and visit are boaters,” he said.
During season, the waterways are typically filled with boats every day.
“You can come out here on a Wednesday and it looks like a weekend,” he said.
To keep everyone safe, Lee County offers something unique. It’s called the Marine Emergency Response Team, or MERT for short.
“It’s comprised of the Coast Guard, firefighters, FWC, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Sanibel Police Department, Fort Myers Police Department, Cape Coral Police Department,” Ansell said.
MERT alerts get sent out via text message and email. They notify every possible unit that could respond via water so the closest available vessel can get to the distressed boater or swimmer. “It just gets more boats out there for that rescue to be, you know, positive, Ansell said.
Each month, Ansell says they average about 20-35 calls. A pretty consistent number from previous years. But knowing how to best protect yourself in the water before help can get to you is an important lesson to learn.
“Boating and swimming can be very fun and satisfying and relaxing, but at the same time it can also be very dangerous, and people just need to keep in the back of their mind that while they’re doing these activities, they do need to keep safety in the back of their head,” Ansell said.
If you ever find yourself caught in a rip current, the first thing you should do is remain calm and don’t panic. Then, float on your back and let the water take you.
“Try to float. Stay calm. Let the water take you where it’s taking you. If it’s taking you out, you just want to swim on either side to get out of the current, and then you can come back in,” Ansell said.
Once you eventually float out of the rip current, you should start to swim parallel back to shore.
“Conditions on the water and the weather can change very quickly, and if you don’t have a plan to get out of it or to deal with it, then you can get caught very quickly and be in serious trouble in a matter of minutes,” Ansell said.