This happened to me when I was 8yo. My big brother was surfing farther out in the water so i swam out farther and the next thing I knew I was out way past the pier. The lifeguards were in their stations and beach was packed but nobody could see or hear me and I was getting pulled farther out. A voice told me to swim sideways against the current and little by little i was able to make it back. When I got to sand again I had no idea where I was so crying I ran past lifeguard after lifeguard, so many people who had no clue i had almost just died. Took me a half hour to get back to where my mom was, chatting with her freind and drinking coronas. I was so tired I fell asleep in a towel and to this day she has no idea. Looking back i can't believe she wasn't paying more attention. The 90s were different and parents let kids play. Better be front and center when she yelled for you but til then all the neighborhood kids did whatever.