Articles | Volume 19, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-19-389-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-19-389-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
22 Feb 2019
Research article |
| 22 Feb 2019
| 22 Feb 2019
Estimations of rip current rescues and drowning in the United States
B. Chris Brewster
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
United States Lifesaving Association, 1968 South Coast Highway no. 740,
Laguna Beach, California 92651, USA
Richard E. Gould
United States Lifesaving Association, 1968 South Coast Highway no. 740,
Laguna Beach, California 92651, USA
Robert W. Brander
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney,
Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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Cited
45 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Machine Learning Beach Attendance Forecast Modelling from Automatic Video-Derived Counting B. Castelle et al. 10.3390/jmse13061181
- A wave-resolving modeling study of rip current variability, rip hazard, and swimmer escape strategies on an embayed beach Y. Yuan et al. 10.5194/nhess-23-3487-2023
- Picoastal: A low-cost coastal video monitoring system C. Stringari & H. Power 10.1016/j.softx.2022.101073
- The impact of construction of detached breakwaters on wave system and sea currents E. Heikal et al. 10.1007/s40722-023-00310-0
- Short communication: evidence for geologic control of rip channels along Prince Edward Island, Canada P. Wernette & C. Houser 10.1080/02723646.2021.1923389
- Drowning incidents and conditions due to hidden flash rips in Lake Michigan Y. Liu & C. Wu 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154314
- Preliminary Investigation and Analysis of Beachgoers’ Awareness of Rip Currents in South China D. Zhu et al. 10.3390/ijerph20054471
- Flow-Based Rip Current Detection and Visualization I. Mori et al. 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3140340
- Public awareness of rip currents among American adults C. O’Halloran & M. Silver 10.1007/s11069-024-06761-4
- Numerical study of rip currents interlaced with multichannel sandbars X. Hong et al. 10.1007/s11069-021-04696-8
- Automated rip current detection with region based convolutional neural networks A. de Silva et al. 10.1016/j.coastaleng.2021.103859
- ‘I actually thought that I was going to die’: Lessons on the rip current hazard from survivor experiences S. Cornell et al. 10.1002/hpja.785
- Short communication: Economic impact of drowning in the Great Lakes Region of North America C. Houser et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105847
- Coastal drowning incidents and nearshore environmental conditions in Taiwan M. Lee et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107545
- Rip Current Identification in Optical Images Using Wavelet Transform H. Wang et al. 10.3390/jmse13040707
- Investigating beachgoer’s perception of coastal bathing risks in southwest France J. Dehez et al. 10.1007/s11069-024-06715-w
- Messaging the Rip Current Threat from Distant Tropical Cyclones in the Carolinas V. Oliva et al. 10.15191/nwajom.2024.1208
- Surf zone-related drownings and injuries based on lifeguard records in Goa beaches (2008–2020) C. Venkateswarlu et al. 10.1007/s11069-023-05861-x
- Box2Rip: Instance Segmentation of Amorphous Rip Currents via Box-Supervised Learning J. Choi et al. 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3578878
- Rip currents near coastal structures in Lake Michigan: Characterization and assessment for warnings Y. Liu & C. Wu 10.1016/j.jglr.2022.03.001
- A preliminary studies to assess public knowledge of beach safety in east coast Malaysia N. Mohammed Isa et al. 10.1007/s11069-021-04613-z
- The role of surfers in beach safety management: Insights from French respondents to a global surfer survey J. Dehez et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106973
- How ocean beach recreational quality fits with safety issues? An analysis of risky behaviours in France J. Dehez & S. Lyser 10.1016/j.jort.2023.100711
- YOLO-Rip: A modified lightweight network for Rip currents detection D. Zhu et al. 10.3389/fmars.2022.930478
- Environmental controls on lifeguard-estimated surf-zone hazards, beach crowds, and resulting life risk at a high-energy sandy beach in southwest France B. Castelle et al. 10.1007/s11069-023-06250-0
- Rip currents investigation on a Ligurian pocket beach, NW Mediterranean L. Carpi et al. 10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107579
- Beachgoers' ability to identify rip currents at a beach in situ S. Pitman et al. 10.5194/nhess-21-115-2021
- Morphometric and sediment characterization of beach cusps in connection to rip currents along Indonesia’s Parangtritis coast A. Nur’aini & B. Mutaqin 10.1007/s12040-024-02477-y
- Beach management policy analysis concerning safety flag systems in Northern Spain I. Basterretxea-Iribar et al. 10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105226
- Surf zone hazards before and after a beach nourishment in Virginia, USA S. McGill et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107367
- Quantifying rip current-related drowning deaths and exposure on Australian beaches S. Kelly et al. 10.1136/ip-2024-045565
- Evaluating the effectiveness of a science-based community beach safety intervention: The Science of the Surf (SOS) presentation R. Brander et al. 10.1016/j.csr.2022.104722
- Rip current hazard at coastal recreational beaches in China Y. Zhang et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105734
- Correspondence of Beach User Perception, Lifesaving Strategies and Rip Currents: Implications for Beach Management S. Locknick & C. Houser 10.1080/08920753.2021.1967561
- The unexplored role of surfers in drowning prevention: Aotearoa, New Zealand as a case study J. Mead et al. 10.1080/17477891.2023.2239223
- Evidence for a mid-Holocene drowning from the Atacama Desert coast of Chile P. Andrade et al. 10.1016/j.jas.2022.105565
- Risk Assessment for Recreational Activities in the Coastal Ocean H. Chuang et al. 10.3390/jmse12040604
- Impact of COVID-19 on drowning patterns in the Great Lakes region of North America C. Houser & B. Vlodarchyk 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105570
- Characteristics and beach safety knowledge of beachgoers on unpatrolled surf beaches in Australia L. Uebelhoer et al. 10.5194/nhess-22-909-2022
- On the swimming strategies to escape a rip current: a mathematical approach A. Withers & S. Maldonado 10.1007/s11069-021-04740-7
- Analysis and machine-learning-based prediction of beach accidents on a recreational beach in China Y. Li et al. 10.1007/s44218-024-00067-5
- Tidal and wave modulation of rip current dynamics Y. Zhang et al. 10.1016/j.csr.2022.104764
- Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling Y. Liu et al. 10.3390/jmse13061139
- Flow characteristics of the rip current system adjacent to a coastal vertical structure for irregular waves J. Xu et al. 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2024.119128
- Machine learning analysis of lifeguard flag decisions and recorded rescues C. Houser et al. 10.5194/nhess-19-2541-2019
45 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Machine Learning Beach Attendance Forecast Modelling from Automatic Video-Derived Counting B. Castelle et al. 10.3390/jmse13061181
- A wave-resolving modeling study of rip current variability, rip hazard, and swimmer escape strategies on an embayed beach Y. Yuan et al. 10.5194/nhess-23-3487-2023
- Picoastal: A low-cost coastal video monitoring system C. Stringari & H. Power 10.1016/j.softx.2022.101073
- The impact of construction of detached breakwaters on wave system and sea currents E. Heikal et al. 10.1007/s40722-023-00310-0
- Short communication: evidence for geologic control of rip channels along Prince Edward Island, Canada P. Wernette & C. Houser 10.1080/02723646.2021.1923389
- Drowning incidents and conditions due to hidden flash rips in Lake Michigan Y. Liu & C. Wu 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154314
- Preliminary Investigation and Analysis of Beachgoers’ Awareness of Rip Currents in South China D. Zhu et al. 10.3390/ijerph20054471
- Flow-Based Rip Current Detection and Visualization I. Mori et al. 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3140340
- Public awareness of rip currents among American adults C. O’Halloran & M. Silver 10.1007/s11069-024-06761-4
- Numerical study of rip currents interlaced with multichannel sandbars X. Hong et al. 10.1007/s11069-021-04696-8
- Automated rip current detection with region based convolutional neural networks A. de Silva et al. 10.1016/j.coastaleng.2021.103859
- ‘I actually thought that I was going to die’: Lessons on the rip current hazard from survivor experiences S. Cornell et al. 10.1002/hpja.785
- Short communication: Economic impact of drowning in the Great Lakes Region of North America C. Houser et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105847
- Coastal drowning incidents and nearshore environmental conditions in Taiwan M. Lee et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107545
- Rip Current Identification in Optical Images Using Wavelet Transform H. Wang et al. 10.3390/jmse13040707
- Investigating beachgoer’s perception of coastal bathing risks in southwest France J. Dehez et al. 10.1007/s11069-024-06715-w
- Messaging the Rip Current Threat from Distant Tropical Cyclones in the Carolinas V. Oliva et al. 10.15191/nwajom.2024.1208
- Surf zone-related drownings and injuries based on lifeguard records in Goa beaches (2008–2020) C. Venkateswarlu et al. 10.1007/s11069-023-05861-x
- Box2Rip: Instance Segmentation of Amorphous Rip Currents via Box-Supervised Learning J. Choi et al. 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3578878
- Rip currents near coastal structures in Lake Michigan: Characterization and assessment for warnings Y. Liu & C. Wu 10.1016/j.jglr.2022.03.001
- A preliminary studies to assess public knowledge of beach safety in east coast Malaysia N. Mohammed Isa et al. 10.1007/s11069-021-04613-z
- The role of surfers in beach safety management: Insights from French respondents to a global surfer survey J. Dehez et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106973
- How ocean beach recreational quality fits with safety issues? An analysis of risky behaviours in France J. Dehez & S. Lyser 10.1016/j.jort.2023.100711
- YOLO-Rip: A modified lightweight network for Rip currents detection D. Zhu et al. 10.3389/fmars.2022.930478
- Environmental controls on lifeguard-estimated surf-zone hazards, beach crowds, and resulting life risk at a high-energy sandy beach in southwest France B. Castelle et al. 10.1007/s11069-023-06250-0
- Rip currents investigation on a Ligurian pocket beach, NW Mediterranean L. Carpi et al. 10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107579
- Beachgoers' ability to identify rip currents at a beach in situ S. Pitman et al. 10.5194/nhess-21-115-2021
- Morphometric and sediment characterization of beach cusps in connection to rip currents along Indonesia’s Parangtritis coast A. Nur’aini & B. Mutaqin 10.1007/s12040-024-02477-y
- Beach management policy analysis concerning safety flag systems in Northern Spain I. Basterretxea-Iribar et al. 10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105226
- Surf zone hazards before and after a beach nourishment in Virginia, USA S. McGill et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107367
- Quantifying rip current-related drowning deaths and exposure on Australian beaches S. Kelly et al. 10.1136/ip-2024-045565
- Evaluating the effectiveness of a science-based community beach safety intervention: The Science of the Surf (SOS) presentation R. Brander et al. 10.1016/j.csr.2022.104722
- Rip current hazard at coastal recreational beaches in China Y. Zhang et al. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105734
- Correspondence of Beach User Perception, Lifesaving Strategies and Rip Currents: Implications for Beach Management S. Locknick & C. Houser 10.1080/08920753.2021.1967561
- The unexplored role of surfers in drowning prevention: Aotearoa, New Zealand as a case study J. Mead et al. 10.1080/17477891.2023.2239223
- Evidence for a mid-Holocene drowning from the Atacama Desert coast of Chile P. Andrade et al. 10.1016/j.jas.2022.105565
- Risk Assessment for Recreational Activities in the Coastal Ocean H. Chuang et al. 10.3390/jmse12040604
- Impact of COVID-19 on drowning patterns in the Great Lakes region of North America C. Houser & B. Vlodarchyk 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105570
- Characteristics and beach safety knowledge of beachgoers on unpatrolled surf beaches in Australia L. Uebelhoer et al. 10.5194/nhess-22-909-2022
- On the swimming strategies to escape a rip current: a mathematical approach A. Withers & S. Maldonado 10.1007/s11069-021-04740-7
- Analysis and machine-learning-based prediction of beach accidents on a recreational beach in China Y. Li et al. 10.1007/s44218-024-00067-5
- Tidal and wave modulation of rip current dynamics Y. Zhang et al. 10.1016/j.csr.2022.104764
- Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling Y. Liu et al. 10.3390/jmse13061139
- Flow characteristics of the rip current system adjacent to a coastal vertical structure for irregular waves J. Xu et al. 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2024.119128
- Machine learning analysis of lifeguard flag decisions and recorded rescues C. Houser et al. 10.5194/nhess-19-2541-2019
Discussed (final revised paper)
Latest update: 09 Jul 2025
Short summary
Rip currents are the greatest hazard to swimmers at surf beaches, but studies of the percentage of rescues and number of drownings attributable to rip currents have reached varying conclusions. This study uses rescue data reported to the United States Lifesaving Association by surf beach rescuers to show that rip currents are the primary cause of an average of more than 80 % of surf rescues, and to estimate that, they are the primary contributor to over 100 drowning deaths annually in the US.
Rip currents are the greatest hazard to swimmers at surf beaches, but studies of the percentage...
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