Rip Current Information Project strives for consistent and standardized communication across the province

Buddy the Lifeguard Dog, the mascot of the Life Saving Society, made a stop at the Lake Lisgar Water Park for National Drowning Prevention Week last Thursday. Lifeguard Abigail Sarafinchin introduced Buddy to some of the park patrons. (Jeff Helsdon photo)

Robin Krafft, Post Correspondent

Understanding the body of water that you're swimming in and educating yourself about the dangers of rip currents is the urgent message that Nathan MacIntyre has been striving to convey for many years.

In 1998, on the last day of high school, MacIntyre lost his best friend Jeff Brasser in a tragic fatal drowning. He understands only too well the traumatic and devastating effect this kind of loss has on family and friends. He has over 20 years of lifeguarding experience on Lake Erie, and he has become a water safety expert.

He is the founder and CEO of the Rip Current Information Project, raising awareness for the general public, and at the municipal level to prevent rip current related fatalities in Canada.

“The Rip Current Information Project continues to offer support for community water safety events, public presentations, professional development, and educational sessions for municipalities, emergency services, organizations, and community groups,” MacIntyre said. “Our goal remains the same: to make Great Lakes beaches safer through practical, evidence-based education.”

National Drowning Prevention Week wrapped up on July 25, which the World Health Organization recognizes as World Drowning Prevention Day, a global advocacy event. One of the recommendations from the Lifesaving Society is to learn how to swim, but it’s a dangerous assumption to think that you can swim your way out of a rip current, or to believe that you can easily recognize hazardous conditions.

“Unfortunately, neither of those assumptions provides much protection on the Great Lakes,” MacIntyre said. “Many people are confident in their swimming ability because they can swim recreationally in a pool. However, most adults have never actually trained to swim in open water. In fact, many people would struggle to swim more than 25 metres continuously in a pool without stopping. Open water is an entirely different environment. Swimmers must contend with waves, cold water, changing depths, wind, and powerful currents that don’t exist in a swimming pool.”

Growing up on the Great Lakes, many people have heard about the danger of an undertow, but that isn’t the common denominator in many drownings, and it isn’t the same as a rip current.

“Rip currents on the Great Lakes can move water offshore at speeds of three feet (about one metre) per second,” MacIntyre said. “These are concentrated, fast-moving flows of water that can be as difficult to swim against as a swiftly-flowing river. Even strong swimmers quickly discover that trying to swim directly against a rip current is exhausting.”

A rip current doesn’t pull swimmers under water; it pulls them out and away from shore rapidly, and into deep water.

“As swimmers are carried beyond the sandbar, they lose the ability to stand,” MacIntyre explained. “Panic sets in, and as they fight unsuccessfully against the current, they rapidly become exhausted. Once their energy is depleted, they can no longer keep their airway above the surface, and that’s when a rescue becomes critical.”

If you’re pulled away from shore by a rip current, start floating and stop fighting; keeping your airway above water and conserving your energy is the objective. Understanding the weather and water conditions before going into the water, however, may mean that you never need to put it into practice.

“Knowing how waves, wind, sandbars, and currents interact allows beachgoers to recognize hazards and make informed decisions before they become emergencies,” MacIntyre said. “Some Lake Erie beaches are significantly more prone to rip currents than others, and some beaches experience them more frequently or with greater intensity.”

There are specific conditions that lead to the development of rip currents, and there can be significant variation from beach to beach, even when they are in close proximity to one another. Checking the specific beach, water, and weather conditions before you visit is essential.

“Rip currents don’t occur randomly,” MacIntyre said. “They develop when specific conditions cause the build-up of water on the shoreline to flow back offshore in concentrated flows - like a river. Beaches that regularly develop sandbars (and channels/troughs) are often more susceptible because these underwater features create natural barriers for water returning offshore. As waves continuously push water toward the beach, that water must eventually find a way back to the lake. Weak areas in sandbars become the pathway for water to return to the lake in a narrow, concentrated channel, a ‘channelized’ rip current.”

MacIntyre’s tireless efforts have resulted in grassroots effects that are gaining traction and getting much deserved attention.

“What began as a local initiative following several tragic drownings has evolved into a collaborative effort involving the County of Elgin and each of its shoreline municipalities,” MacIntyre said. “Together, we are working toward developing a more standardized approach to communicating Great Lakes water hazards so that residents and visitors receive clearer, more consistent safety information regardless of which beach they visit. In 2026, we’ve also expanded our outreach beyond Elgin County, working with communities along the Lake Huron shoreline while continuing to build partnerships with researchers, emergency services, and municipal leaders across Ontario.”

The significant growth of the Rip Current Information Project this past year is the result of his 28 years of diligence, and MacIntyre is one step closer to establishing a standardized form of hazard communication across all of Ontario.