Istanbul’s northern beaches are very popular among those fleeing the exhausting heat in central parts of the Turkish megalopolis. They are also the most dangerous due to a notorious rip current. Prevalent along the Black Sea coast of the city in particular, the current accounts for about 70% of drowning cases in the summer.
Rip currents, also known as “pulling” currents and mostly seen in stormy weather, are common in an area stretching from the Binkılıç district in the west to Ağva on the eastern Black Sea coast of the city. Kilyos and Şile beaches, popular spots for weekend excursions from the city, are more exposed to rip currents. Though signs are erected across beaches warning about the current, it still remains a main cause of drownings. This year, lifeguards saved more than 3,000 people between June 1 and Aug. 8, with most being rescued from the deadly rip currents that claimed lives in past years.
Rip currents usually form around low spots or breaks in sandbars and swiftly move from shallow parts of the sea to deeper areas. Once a swimmer is caught in the current, they are pulled away to deeper waters, with little chance of escape. Most deadly drowning cases occur when a swimmer caught in the current starts to panic and tries to swim against it toward the shore, giving up when they become too tired to keep themselves afloat in the water. Experts warn that even professional swimmers cannot fight against rip currents. If ever caught in a current, they recommend swimming parallel to the shore, rather than toward it.
Professor Serdar Beji from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) Faculty of Maritime Sciences, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday that although rip currents are more common on ocean shores, they can occur in places like the Black Sea. He singles out Karaburun beach in the Arnavutköy district on Istanbul’s European side as a high-risk area for rip currents. “The speed of currents varies between 0.3 meters and 1.5 meters per second,” he said.
Beji says while the untrained eye cannot spot a rip current, people can tell by checking the color of the water. “If you see the water is muddy in one spot off the shore, especially getting more brown further from the coast, it is most likely a rip current area. Rip current moves sands and mud at the bottom to the surface,” he underlined. “If you are caught in a rip current, you should not resist it. Instead, you should focus on staying afloat. Making desperate moves will tire you. Once the current loses its strength, you should not turn back directly to the shore. You should swim left or right, until you reach a safer area in the water,” he said. Beji also warned that people trying to help those caught in rip currents are also at risk of drowning. “Instead of trying to rescue the swimmer, they should throw them something they can hang on, like a lifebuoy.”
