THE Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) warned beachgoers to observe safety precautions against rip current when swimming in Lingayen Gulf to avoid drowning incident.

Avenix Arenas, council spokesperson, said rip current is a water current that can sweep off swimmers away to shore in just five minutes and can be dangerous if one is clueless on what to do.

“It is a white-colored water with bubbles that measures to about two to three meter wide and 15 meters long if narrow and 50 meters wide with length of up to 200 to 400 meters if wide,” she said.

Beachgoers are advised –

1. To stay calm if caught in a rip current because it will not pull a person under the water but will just pull him away from shore.
2. Don’t fight the current by swimming straight to back to shore, instead, swim parallel to the current then swim back to land.
3. If the beachgoer can’t swim, he must float or tread water and wave for assistance to avoid putting themselves at risks of drowning.

The warning was issued in anticipation of the influx of thousands of beachgoers heading to different beaches in the province during the celebration of the “Pistay Dayat” on May 1.

Arenas advised all beach goers to stay close to the six beach towers established by PDRRMC in order to be closely watched by the water search and rescue (WASAR) team and avoid getting drowned when rip current occurs. (EMS_PIA Pangasinan)

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