Summer Survival Guide

The Danger:
Summer is the season for swimming in the ocean. But be careful where you wade in. A rip current could sweep you away! If you see a patch of water that looks different in color or that moves differently from the water around it, you might be facing a rip current. Rip currents are the reason for more than 80% of lifeguard rescues at the beach!

Survival Tips:
Always swim in an area protected by lifeguards. Check the water for suspicious signs before you enter it. If you do get caught in a current, don’t swim against it. Instead, swim with the current, then angle toward the beach when the current’s power lessens.

The Danger:
Summer is the season for swimming in the ocean. But be careful where you wade in. A rip current could sweep you away! If you see a patch of water that is different in color, watch out. See if it moves differently from the water around it. You might be facing a rip current. Rip currents are the reason for more than 80 percent of lifeguard rescues at the beach!

Survival Tips:
Always swim in an area protected by lifeguards. Check the water before you enter it. If you do get caught in a current, don’t swim against it. Instead, swim with the current. Then turn toward the beach when the current is less strong.

The Danger:
For hikers, forest dangers aren’t always as big as bears. Deer ticks are tiny, but they can be a deadly disaster! Ticks eat blood, and they dig their way under your skin to get it. Once they’re inside, they can transmit a lot of diseases. The big one? Lyme disease. This infection can cause skin rash, fever, headache, and achy joints. It can even damage a person’s nervous system!

Survival Tips:
Wear insect repellent anytime you plan to spend time outdoors. When you’re back inside, check your body all over for ticks. If you find one, use tweezers to grab the tick’s body as close to your skin as possible. Steadily pull the critter out, then flush it down the toilet.

The Danger:
Dangers in the forest aren’t always big. Deer ticks are tiny. But they can be deadly! Ticks eat blood. To get it, they dig under your skin. Once they’re inside, they can give you a lot of diseases. The big one? Lyme disease. This infection can give you a rash or a fever. You might also develop headaches. Your joints may ache. The disease can even damage a person’s nervous system!

Survival Tips:
Wear insect repellent. When you come inside, check your body for ticks. If you find one, use tweezers to grab the tick’s body as close to your skin as possible. Steadily pull the critter out. Then flush it down the toilet.

The Danger:
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poisonsumac all release a toxic oil called urushiol (yu-ROO-shee-ol). If you touch the oil, it can cause an itchy rash and blisters.

Survival Tips:
Learn what these toxic plants look like so you can avoid them. If you think you touched a dangerous plant, wash your skin in soap and cool water. If you do develop a rash, don’t scratch! Try using a skin lotion like calamine to relieve the itching.

The Danger:
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac all release a toxic oil. It’s called urushiol (yu-ROO-shee-ol). Don’t touch these plants! Their oil can cause an itchy rash and blisters.

Survival Tips:
Learn what these toxic plants look like so you can avoid them. If you think you touched one, wash your skin in soap and cool water. If you do develop a rash, don’t scratch! Try using a skin lotion like calamine to relieve the itching.

The Danger:
The odds of being attacked by a shark are extremely low: about

1 in 11.5 million! It’s very unlikely that you’ll ever be bitten by one. In fact, humans are the dangerous ones when it comes to sharks. Sharks often die after getting caught in fishing lines. Some are hunted for their fins. Today more than 60 shark species are endangered, including the famous great white.

Survival Tips:
Avoid beaches where sharks are known to swim. Wherever you do swim, stay in a group and make sure not to swim while bleeding. If a shark ever does attack you, hit its nose as hard as you can. You can also try clawing at its eyes or gills.

The Danger:
The odds of being attacked by a shark are extremely low: about 1 in 11.5 million! It’s very unlikely that you’ll ever be bitten by one. In fact, humans are the dangerous ones when it comes to sharks. Sharks often die after getting caught in fishing lines. Some are hunted for their fins. Today more than 60 shark species are endangered, including the famous great white.

Survival Tips:
Avoid beaches where sharks are known to swim. Wherever you do swim, stay in a group and make sure not to swim while bleeding. If a shark ever does attack you, hit its nose as hard as you can. You can also try clawing at its eyes or gills.