If you're swimming towards the shore and find yourself moving out, you're caught in a riptide. You must swim parallel to the shore to escape it.

I initially read this in the fashion of:

Youre swimming at the beach and now your parents are throwing you out of the house.

I was confused about what a riptide had to do with that.

This video might help illustrate, https://youtu.be/Zv3t0Fvgvik?si=jP-7qDG9byfhL84G