Spring break beachgoers should know about the dangers of rip currents

After a 17-year-old Canadian swimmer was swept out to sea and later found dead, the National Weather Service is warning visitors and residents about the hazards.

William Zhang, a 17-year-old Canadian swimmer, was swept out to sea off Indian Shores on Wednesday. Pinellas County deputies later located his body.

While it’s not exactly clear how he drowned, one possibility is rip currents.

They form when waves break near the shoreline, piling up water between the breaking waves and the beach. They can increase to dangerous speeds, dragging swimmers out to sea.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rip currents are the greatest surf-zone hazard to all beachgoers.

As the Tampa Bay area prepares for a record-breaking spring break, the National Weather Service is warning both visitors and residents about the dangers of rip currents.

Jennifer Hubbard is a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service Tampa office.

She said it's important not to panic if you ever get caught in a rip current.

“That rip current isn't going to pull you an extreme amount offshore as long as you don't fight it,” Hubbard said. “You need to relax if you feel that pull. You can try to swim parallel to the coast to get out of that channel, and once you do release from the channel, you would swim to shore.”