Riptides are terrifying

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I was maybe 10 years old, out with my mother in Florida. The ocean was warm, the waves were minor at the time. I was about maybe 50- 60 feet, just high enough to where I could barely stand in the water.

All of a sudden, I was getting pulled. I was trying to jump up and scrape my feet against the ground to go against the current. Slowly but surely, I went another few feet to where the depth was too much to touch the ground on. I had to try swimming.

I was getting pulled... getting farther away from my mom. 10 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet. I kept getting farther out. My mom didn't want to get caught in the riptide either, but kept trying to get to me. She was getting pushed away, while I was getting pulled. At one point, I was around 100 yards from her and the current was so strong, that I wasn't making any headway. I kept getting farther and farther out and I started crying. I have never been so scared in my life...

Suddenly a boat showed up with a few life guards in it. The only boat I could see for miles. It miraculously appeared.

Thinking on this... I can see why people want to believe in god. In fact, moments like this, make me want to believe in some entity that would save me, if I ever were besieged with such misfortune. I cannot imagine a more sad and desperate ending... getting pulled out to sea, expecting someone to come help. Imagine you are in an ocean alone, at night, your legs are getting tired, and in every direction there is just an endless horizon of water.

I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy or anybody. That is to me, the epitome of doom.

But as an atheist... believing and hoping in someone or something to save you in these desperate times, makes sense. That sense of unease always faltering at your present, from your past. I am still afraid to go more than 30-40 feet in the ocean. That has really stuck with me ever since I was a child.

Even an atheist, during these desperate times, will start praying to whatever is in their mind, to get past this and to survive, or to get lucky and find help.

PSA:

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I will never forget when one guy slipped and fell off the back of the Navy ship I was on. We were in the either the pacific or indian ocean, forget which.
I will never forget the look on is face after they got him onboard, he was terrified. It was a cloudy moonless night where the blackness was palpable.
35 years later I can still see his face. Never since have I seen someone that scared.
Your story reminded me of that.

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There are no atheists in fox holes, as the saying goes.

Fun fact about rip tides. Swim parallel to the beach to get out of them.

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I don't know the beach landscape in your country, but in Northern Australia (and other parts) a rip (rip-tide) is relatively easy to spot on less crowded beaches.

The rip is normally an area of 'smooth' water between the wave-action close to the beach.

I use to do a lot of beach fishing, and often would make note of rips in the various locations (after a lifetime on the beach they become easier to spot)

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I don't float very well so I might well get into serious trouble just by being pulled out a good distance from shore. But at least now I've learned it's best to stay calm and swim along the shoreline to get away from the current before trying to get back in. :)
In such waters I'd probably wear a light boyancy vest for added comfort.

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I'm surprised no-one's made the edgelord response that goes something along the lines of...

"You could have done without the lifeguard if you had known better yourself (although at the age of ten, noone can blame you). God is only a neccesity for the naive?"

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Are there many active edge lords on this forum ?

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Rip tides are useful for surfing. Makes it easier to get out. Less waves and you're being pulled out. Just be careful duck diving.

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True you only need to swim parallel to get out of them and they're usually not very wide.

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When I was a kid my whole family (Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc...) got together for a picnic at Jones Beach in New York. I don't know if it was a Riptide, but I got knocked over by wave and got caught in a current. Jones Beach is pretty crowded and I was being tumbled, rolled and bounced underwater. I could feel myself knocking people over like a human bowling ball but I couldn't come up for air. Eventually someone saved me and when I got out of the water I was like a mile away up the beach.

That was scary, I was dying.

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Surfing was invented cause kelp feels so slimey

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Wut?

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I found a girl in a rip once...she we so scared. I stayed with her till the life guard with flippers toed her back to sore.. Flippers FTW :)