CLEARWATER, Fla. — Two people were taken to a hospital after authorities say they were having trouble swimming Sunday afternoon in Clearwater Beach and held on to the piling of a pier.
A man and woman suffered minor cuts and will be checked out at the hospital, a city of Clearwater spokesperson told 10 Tampa Bay.
The two may have been involved with a rip current at the beach. Officials say they have "had an issue with rip currents all weekend and people earlier in the day were advised not to swim near the pier because of that."
The man and woman are reportedly expected to be OK.
There are moderate levels of rip currents in the Tampa Bay area, according to the National Weather Service. This means that rip currents are likely and weak swimmers should not enter the surf above the knees, the NWS says.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the best way to prevent getting caught in a rip current is to stay close to the shore and near a lifeguard. But since lifeguards can't always be available, there are indicators to help spot a rip current to know which areas to avoid swimming in.
Before you get in the water, check for rip currents at an elevated position that overlooks the beach, such as the parking lot or sand dune, and watch the water for several minutes since rip current conditions can change, according to NOAA.
The easiest type of rip current to identify are channelized rip currents as they usually look as darker, narrow gaps of water heading offshore between areas of breaking waves and whitewater, the NOAA says. They can also appear as darker paths heading out through the surf, so make sure to look for gaps in the lines of breaking waves.
To learn more ways how to spot a rip current, click here.