11 have died in rip currents along the Gulf Coast. Here’s how to escape one.

At least 11 people have drowned after becoming caught in rip currents that have wreaked havoc along the Gulf of Mexico coastline in recent weeks as rising temperatures have pushed swimmers into cooler waters.

Seven of those deaths occurred near Panama City Beach, Fla., according to the National Weather Service, which tracks deaths in the surfing zone by the United States. All the victims have been men.

Sheriff Tommy Ford of Bay County, Fla., which includes Panama City Beach, expressed his frustration in a Facebook post this week about sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and lifeguards risking their lives to save strangers. They were “cursed and given the finger, as they tried to warn visitors of the life-threatening dangers,” he said.

“I have seen strangers die trying to save their children and loved ones, including two fathers on Father’s Day,” Sheriff Ford wrote. He urged beachgoers to take personal responsibility as “the only way to make sure no one else dies.”

In another swimming-related episode, Ryan Mallet, a former NFL quarterback, drowned Tuesday in Destin, Florida, after medical responders responded to help six swimmers struggling to make it back to shore. He was 35. No rip currents were reported in the area, officials said in a statement, but some of the things people can do to escape a rip current can also be used to avoid drowning in calming waters.

What is a mouse stream?

Rip currents are river-like channels that move away from the coast at high speeds and usually extend from near the shoreline to beyond the line of breaking waves. Rip currents form when waves spread along the beach, trapping water between the beach and a sand bar or other shallow spot, and also near the underwater parts of structures such as jetties and piers.

This is reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rip currents typically reach speeds of one to two feet per second; some have been measured moving at 8 feet per second. High winds and large waves can also increase the likelihood of a rip current forming.

Rip currents can be seen from shore, especially at low tide. They usually appear as darker, narrow water gaps between areas of breaking waves and white water. If you’re not sure if what you’re seeing is a rip current, ask the nearest lifeguard.

What’s going on in Florida?

Florida’s deadly spate of drownings can be attributed in part to a long period of onshore currents, when prevailing winds are toward the coast, said Wright Dobbs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. An offshore current has moved in in recent days, he said, and lighter wind speeds in the coming days could reduce the risk of rip currents overall, he said.

But that onshore current “devastated” the sandbars along a stretch of Florida’s coastline known as the Emerald Coast, which includes Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, increasing the risk of rip currents, Mr. Wright said. “We’re still seeing them take a while to recover,” he said. “People still need to be very vigilant.”

Mr Wright, who grew up in the area, said the Gulf experiences rip currents all year round. But the death toll is “more than we normally see”.

Daryl Paul, Panama City Beach’s beach safety director, said the city is fully staffed with 10 lifeguards to patrol the nine-mile beach year-round. Ahead of the busy Independence Day holiday weekend, he said, he plans to more than double that number, with cross-trained firefighters on standby. Lifeguard posts will also be pulled closer to the shoreline.

Mr Paul said the forecast and tide schedule suggest rip currents will develop in the afternoon on Tuesday 4 July. Lifeguards will try to keep swimmers in the shallows of the sandbars.

“We have a saying,” he said. “Knee-deep is too deep.”

Don’t panic if you find yourself in a mouse stream.

If you end up in a Gulf Stream, you probably won’t notice it at first, but the current will soon carry you out to sea. The first rule is don’t panic; this will only exhaust you as you try to swim back to shore.

Because rip currents move perpendicular to the coast, the best way to get out of a mouse current is to let the current flow until the strength wears off, then swim parallel to shore until you can swim to safety.

Rip current protection kicks in before swimmers enter the water. Panama City Beach encourages swimmers watch for warning flags: green for calm conditions, yellow for moderate surf and red for high surf and strong current. When a double red flag is fluttered, the water is closed to the public.

The Weather Service recommends two steps to ensure a safe beach day. Before heading to the beach, check the water conditions by looking at a local beach forecast. Just because it’s a sunny day doesn’t mean it’s safe to swim. And second, swim at a beach with lifeguards.