They are strong currents flowing away from the shore.  Annually, rip currents kill about 100 people in the US.  To help curb that number this week has been named "Rip Current Awareness Week." 

"What's deadly is when people fight against it and get tired and that's when possible drowning situations occur," said lifeguard Chrissy Dinicola. 

Rip currents can flow at speeds of 8 feet per second, that's faster than an Olympic swimmer.  They don't pull swimmers under the water just out away from the shore.  We spoke to one beach goer who had first hand experience of their power.

"As a young child I was caught in a rip current and I was lucky that someone pulled me free of it and it's very dangerous and a serious thing," said Julie Ravenscroft.

Each year 5 to 6 people are rescued in Charleston County Parks from rip currents.  If you're caught in one don't panic, just stay calm.

"The worst thing you can do is swim in against the rip current because you won't get anywhere but if you swim to the side you can get out of the rip current or just wait until it fizzles out and swim back in," advises Dinicola. 

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