**Rip Currents Pose Challenges for Swimmers: Important to Stay Aware Along the Coasts**

In week 30, the Tryg Foundation’s (Trygfonden) lifeguards have reported an increase in swimmers experiencing difficulties due to rip currents, also known locally as “hestehuller” (horse holes). With warm and sunny summer weather on the horizon, more visitors are expected to flock to the Danish shores. However, as Tryg Foundation Coastal Lifeguarding warns in a press release, it is crucial for beachgoers to be aware of rip currents when they venture into the waves.

During week 30, Tryg Foundation’s lifeguards observed a rising trend of swimmers encountering challenges caused by rip currents. A rip current is a channel of water that forms in the sandy bottom of the beach, where under certain wind and wave conditions, a strong outward current pulls water away from the shore and out to sea.

“Being familiar with these conditions can help prevent rip currents from becoming dangerous,” explains Anders Hammer, head of training at Tryg Foundation Coastal Lifeguarding. “It’s extremely uncomfortable to be caught right in the rip current and be swept away by the flow. This is where panic typically sets in,” he adds.

Hammer notes that many attempts to swim against the current can lead to exhaustion, creating a perilous situation. The best approach is to stay calm and let oneself be carried along by the current until out of the rip current, and then swim diagonally towards the shore.

For those concerned about rip currents, it is recommended to remain within the lifeguard-marked swimming area, which is indicated by red and yellow flags at the water’s edge. “Within those two flags, there will never be a rip current. It is a safe swimming zone,” Hammer emphasizes. He also advises that having a conversation with lifeguards is always a good idea to raise awareness about the key risks.

Between July 22 and July 28, Tryg Foundation’s lifeguards conducted a total of 7,767 interventions, including seven cases where individuals were in life-threatening situations. The lifeguards also performed 171 first aid actions and 515 preventive measures, where swimmers were urged to swim closer to shore.

The vast majority of the interventions were informative, with lifeguards informing beachgoers about local beach conditions and the five swimming safety tips in 7,074 instances. These efforts highlight how essential information and preventive actions are for safety along the coasts.