Houston mother on a mission to save lives from rip currents at the beach

Mother promotes rip current awareness after son's death

Kiwana Denson, founder of the Je'Sani Smith Foundation, is on a mission to raise awareness about rip currents after her son drowned in one two months shy of his high school graduation in 2019.

HOUSTON - A Houston mom is on a mission to raise awareness about rip currents after her son drowned in one two months shy of his high school graduation in 2019.

Kiwana Denson started the Je'Sani Smith Foundation to educate the public and save lives.

Mother spreads rip current awareness

The backstory:

Je'Sani Smith had just turned 18 years old and was about to graduate high school when he drowned in a rip current off Padre Island back in 2019.

Smith was an athlete and strong swimmer, according to his mother Kiwana Denson.  She says the tragic event is proof anyone can be caught in a rip current.

Local perspective:

Denson and her family moved to the Houston area a couple of years ago, and now she's on a mission to spread awareness about rip currents for the southeast Texas coast.

Starting in mid-June, Denson's foundation will be putting up a billboard on State Highway 6 leading to Galveston.

The billboard reminds people to "check the flags" before getting in the water.  A green flag indicates calm conditions.  A yellow flag means swimmers should use caution and stay close to shore, and if a red flag is flying, adult swimmers shouldn't go in the water past their waist. A red flag indicates a strong presence of rip currents. 

Dig deeper:

Check current flag conditions here: https://www.visitgalveston.com/things-to-do/beaches/conditions/

If you're interested in helping the Je'Sani Smith Foundation or learning more about the mission, visit https://www.jesanismithfoundation.org/

How to escape a rip current

A rip current is a narrow channel of fast-moving water. It can be a different color than the rest of the water, and you can often spot a rip current when there is a break in the wave pattern.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates 100 people drown in rip currents each year.

What you can do:

Rip currents do not pull people under the water. Instead, they pull swimmers away from shore. If you are caught in a rip current, don't panic. Float instead of fight. Swim out of the current and then to shore. If you need help, yell or wave.

Dig deeper:

How to survive getting caught in rip current, according to NWS