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Coast Guard Searching For Two Teens Caught In Rip Currents

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Coast Guard is searching for two teenagers that were swept to sea by rip currents on Saturday.

There are two separate cases, both taking place in South Florida.

A 15-year-old boy was caught in a rip current near McArthur State Park.  The Coast Guard quickly launched a rescue helicopter crew along with two smallboat crews to search for the boy.

Later, a 16-year-old boy was taken offshore in another rip current at Vero Beach, not far from the Fort Pierce Inlet.  The Coast Guard sent up a helicopter crew for this boy as well, in addition to a smallboat crew.

Conditions are very dangerous for swimmers, with three to six-foot waves and 20 knot winds reported.

"I want to advise swimmers, surfers and beachgoers to exercise caution at local beaches as there is a high risk of rip currents," said Capt. Michael Long, acting sector commander. "We continue to actively search alongside our partner agencies with hopes to bring the missing loved ones back to their families."

A rip current is a powerful channel of water that flows quickly away from shore.  They often occur at low spots or breaks in the sandbar.

Any person or object caught in a rip current can be pulled out into deeper sea waters.

The Coast Guard says that the way to escape a rip current is not to panic and swim parallel to the shore.  Once you are away from the force of the rip current, begin to swim back towards the beach. Do not attempt to swim directly against the current as you can become easily exhausted, regardless of how strong of a swimmer you are.

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