CLEVELAND — Please be careful if you're heading to the beach for a swim, as News 5 Meteorologist Phil Sakal says rip currents in Lake Erie are likely to continue over the next several months.
On Sunday, two brothers were swept away while at Huntington Beach.
Zipporah Barnes was at Edgewater Beach when another man, separate from the two brothers, was swept away by Lake Erie.
The man reportedly fell off the Edgewater Pier on Sunday.
"That's heartbreaking. People come out here for peace. You never know what people are going through and to hear like a freak accident like that and to know that they still haven't found him, it's just sad," Barnes said.
RELATED: Body recovered near Edgewater Beach
A body was recovered near Edgewater Beach on Tuesday night, but who that person is hasn't been released yet.
Rescue missions have hit obstacles as the rip currents provide new hazards while on the water.
"Lake Erie is pretty deep. The deepest part is about 250 feet deep in the central half of the lake, but you can get currents moving water around pretty quickly and that's continuing to move anything below the surface. A lot of folks, unfortunately, once they get out to deeper water, anything is possible, especially with some of these stronger winds that we've seen over the last several days," Sakal said.
Sakal explained that rip currents can be deadly.
"A rip current is something that drags water actually from the shore back into the lakes," he said. "You have lots of peaks and valleys. They can happen fairly quickly. That's the big problem with rip currents here on Lake Erie. A lot of it can happen fairly quickly, and you may or may not know that you're in one until it's too late."
Sakal said rip currents can move anywhere between one and three miles per hour.
"If you're not a great swimmer or floater, you're not gonna have a good chance of getting out of the rip," he said.
Sakal said rip currents happen more frequently during warmer months.
"It can be really bad," he added.
Sakal recommends checking the National Weather Service in Greater Cleveland before setting sights on a beach day, as forecasts are provided in real time, including advisories and rip current timelines.
"Rip currents and small craft advisories will come out of the office pretty much every day. Our potential will continue throughout the next several months," Sakal said.
If you're caught in a rip current, Sakal said, although the panic of losing control is real, calm down. You'll want to swim parallel to the shore.
"The rip current is only a few feet to maybe about one yard wide," he said. "If you really aren't able to swim parallel to the shore, kind of let it drift you out, but you do have to float."
Barnes said she fears the current condition of Lake Erie, especially with her two twins, but she wants to get them swim lessons so they're more prepared.
"Prayers to the family," Barnes said.
