SANIBEL, Fla. – Though the terms “rip current” and “rip tide” are often mistakenly used interchangeably, it’s important to understand they are not the same thing. This is especially pertinent today, a day when the rip current risk is low, and a rip tide pulled three people into the Gulf of Mexico off of Sanibel’s Blind Pass Beach. Though two swimmers were rescued, the U.S. Coast Guard-led search is ongoing for the third.