CT Police Officer Saves the Life of Drowning Swimmer Off CT Coast

At 12:56 pm this past Sunday, the calls began rolling in about a swimmer in serious trouble.

The location was the Brady Point shore area in West Haven. As the 9-1-1 calls began pouring in, shore units and patrol officers were rushing to the scene where a swimmer appeared to be in serious trouble approximately 100 yards from shore.

It was determined there was absolutely no time to assemble any type of apparatus to reach the swimmer who was fighting for his life, trying not to go underwater. One of the first West Haven Police officers on the scene saw the dire predicament the swimmer was in and proceeded to remove all of his gear along with his shoes. He then climbed into the water and quickly swam out to rescue the flailing swimmer.

Once the officer reached the distressed swimmer, he grabbed him by the collar and began swimming another 100 yards back to shore, but this time against the current. As the two of them got closer to the beach, another West Haven officer jumped in to help the first officer get the swimmer up on land, which they were able to do successfully.

I'm not sure if this swimmer got caught in a rip current, which is a current that flows away from the beach. According to livescience.com, every year, 150 swimmers drown because they attempt to swim against the current, which usually begins in waist-deep water. These currents do not pull you under the water. You must have breaking waves for there to be a rip current. Whatever you do, DO NOT try and swim against it. Instead, swim parallel to the flow until it subsides.