Coastguards in Cornwall are offering members of the public advice on how to deal with rip tides following a man losing his life at sea last month.

Bude Coastguard Team has posted a link on its Facebook page which allows people to find out how to deal with being caught in a rip tide while swimming in the sea.

It follows an incident last month when a man went missing after being caught in a rip tide near Bude.

On Tuesday, June 4 and 5 Bude Coastguard Rescue Team were paged at 9.24pm by Falmouth Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to report of persons caught in a rip tide just north of Northcott Mouth.

Whilst en route to the incident, an update was received that two females had managed to make it back to shore, but a male casualty was still unaccounted for.

The search continued throughout the night and the following day.

Multiple other search and rescue assets were deployed throughout the incident, including Hartland Coastguard Rescue Team, a senior coastal operations officer, two coastguard rescue helicopters, Bude RNLI lifeboat, Clovelly, Padstow, and Appledore lifeboats, the Coastguard Area Drone Team, and the Coastguard fixed wing aircraft.

Police, paramedics, and doctors also attended the incident.

However, despite a thorough search, the missing male was not located at the time.

Despite their best efforts, the missing man was not located at the time.

In a post shared on their Facebook page, Bude Coastguards said: “Our thoughts very much remain with his family and friends.”

What is a Rip Current?

  • Rips are strong currents running out to sea, which can quickly drag people and debris away from the shallows of the shoreline and out to deeper water.
  • They tend to flow at 1–2mph but can reach 4–5mph, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer.
  • Rips are especially powerful in larger surf but never underestimate the power of any water. They are also found around river mouths, estuaries and man-made structures like piers and groynes.
  • How to spot and avoid a rip current
  • Rip currents can be difficult to spot but are sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the sea's surface.
  • Even the most experienced beachgoers can be caught out by rips, so don’t be afraid to ask lifeguards for advice. They will show you how you can identify and avoid rips.

The best way to avoid rips is to choose a lifeguarded beach and always swim between the red and yellow flags, which have been marked based on where is safer to swim in the current conditions. This also helps you to be spotted more easily, should something go wrong.

If you do find yourself caught in a rip tide: 

  • Don’t try to swim against it or you’ll get exhausted.
  •  If you can stand, Wade don’t swim.
  • If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore.
  • Always raise your hand and shout for help.