Dispelling the Myth of the RipRip currents do not pull people under the water; they pull people away from shore. The rip current is typically the strongest about a foot off of the bottom, which can cause your feet to be knocked out from under you making it feel like something under the water was pulling you.
Myth: Rip currents, rip tides, and undertows are all the same thing. Fact: While neither rip currents or undertow will pull a person underwater, undertow is a term used to describe the current beneath the surface when waves are breaking upon the shore (see glossary of rip current terms).
On average, about 100 people die each year in the United States because of rip currents, although the number may actually be much higher, as the cause of death for many who are rushed to a hospital from is listed as “heart attack, says Leatherman.