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'Float, Don't Fight': One Woman's Mission To Keep Others Safe From Rip Currents After Her Husband's Death

Last summer, Ali Joy and her husband ran into the water to save their daughters from a rip current at Atlantic Beach.

We can't stress enough how dangerous rip currents can be, but as you travel to the coast this summer, experts say there are several ways you can survive if you get caught in one.

While lifeguards might be out and the caution flag might be up, but that doesn't rule out the possibility of getting caught in a powerful rip current. 

RELATED: 20 Rip Current Rescues At Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach

Last summer, Ali Joy was visiting Atlantic Beach, with her husband Austin, and their kids. Joy said, flags weren't up, but before she knew it, her twin daughters had been pulled out to sea caught in a rip current. 

"You see your loved one in distress and you don't think twice," she explained, "You run in. As you're going in, you just want to get to them. When you get to them, you are relieved. And you think, oh my God, I've got them. But then you realize you're all in the same pickle."

Joy says, waves were crashing, she couldn't touch the bottom, and panic was setting in. Two off-duty Marines came to her safety, and she and her daughters were able to survive by floating on their backs, before their rescue.

"That changed it for me, that's where 'float, don't fight' comes from, because he said to float on your back and that's how we were able to hang in there long enough," she said. 

RELATED: Hurricane Florence Effect: NC Coastline Changed After Florence Leading To Stronger Rip Currents, Professor Says

Her husband who also ran to rescue the girls didn't make it.

Joy believes things would have turned out much differently if she'd have known to bring a flotation device. She's started up a campaign, 'Float, Don't Fight,' spreading a message about rip currents.

It's consistent with what lifeguards and other water safety experts say. Bring something with you that floats, don't go out if you're unsure about conditions, and don't swim alone. 

If you are caught in a rip current, experts say don’t fight it by trying to swim against it. Instead, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the rip.

RELATED: Know This About Rip Currents While Swimming at the Beach 

We have more information on how to spot a rip current - just click this link.

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