Charlottetown mother advises extra caution swimming after getting caught in rip current with son

What started out asa routine swim at the beach could have ended tragically for Beth Johnstonand her son.

She wants to warn others of how quickly getting caught in a riptide and pulled offshore can happen.

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"I just feel very very lucky because a man lost his life on that same shore where he drowned is just down the beach from where we were."

The Charlottetown resident and her youngest son, Charlie Ross, were swimming at Savage Harbour on P.E.I.'s North Shore something they do at least once a week during the summer when they were both caught in a rip current.

"I grew up on that shore, my family had a home there. For six months of the year almost we were in that ocean swimming in all types of weather."

A rip current is a strong channel of water that flows out to sea from near the shore and can occur at any beach with breaking waves oceans, seas and large lakes.

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Johnston said after they got to the beach they sat and watched the waves for awhile before going in for a sunset swim.

"The sun was getting low in the sky and we were kind of following the sunset."

Lost their footing

Johnston said Charlie,12, had an underwater GoProon to take video of the swim. The camera was later lost to the current.

"We were still on our feet, we were only about waist deep, and we weren't actually swimming, we were just wading when we lost our footing."

Both mother and son quickly realized they couldn't touch the bottom. Johnston said it seemed likeit happened in 30 seconds.

"We were really far offshore over our heads and the waves were crashing over our heads. He turned to me and said 'Mommy, I'm tired, I can't swim, I can't touch, I'm too tired.'"

Johnston said she realized they were in trouble and told Charlie to keep swimming.

"I kept reaching for his hand but I could see the waves crashing over his head."

When she saw the fear in his eyes, Johnston said she knew they were in a situation that would be difficult to get out of, but knew they had to try.

"I would swim as hard as I could forward and then the wave would crash over me and it would be that much further back than where I had begun."

Johnston said the shore looked further and further away.

Charlie made it to shore first, and tried to call for help. Johnston said she could hear him screaming out for someone to help his mother but no one heard him because of how loud the waves were as they crashed onshore.

"He was on the shore for 10 minutes watching me as I struggled to get to shore."

Concerned for son

Johnston said her real panic was realizing whenever she tried to swim to shore, she kept getting sucked back out.

"I was so concerned about my little boy I eventually got some footing and was sort of able to move my body forward by digging my feet into the sand."

Johnston said she knows if she and her son weren'tstrong swimmers, neitherwould have made it back to shore.

"It took all the strength I had."

Johnston said it took at least 20 minutes for her son to reach the shore,and 30 for her to reach it. Her son told her he felt very shaken and feared he was going to die in the water.

"I told him I felt the same way and it was actually the first time in my life I felt like it was a situation I was not going to be able to get out of."

Johnson said the force ofwaterwas strong and overwhelming.

"Until you feel it yourself you don't realize you're powerless the force of that water against your body is more than you can take."

Johnston said she feels great sympathy for the family of the man who drowned.

"I experienced the exact same thing, we just had a different ending."

Swim parallel to shore

If you are caught in a rip current, water safety experts advise don't swim against.

Rip currents are too fast for even Olympians swimmers. Swim parallel to shore, and then when you are out of the current swim back to shore.

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