OLYMPIA, Wash. — No one knows whether a surf perch angler who drowned while fishing near Ocean Shores, Wash., last week was caught in a rip current or was swamped by a wave.

No one saw Dae W. Rhim, 62, at the moment a fishing and clamming trip turned into tragedy.

"The last time his wife saw him, he was bending over while the surf receded — maybe he was putting a fish in his catch bag," said Rick Scott, Grays Harbor County undersheriff.

Rhim was wearing a wetsuit under waders, but he didn't have a safety belt on the waders, Scott said. Waders without belts can fill up with water and act like a sail in moving water.

"Most likely, a large wave knocked him off his feet and his waders filled with water," Scott said.

Rhim's wife, Okyoun, was reading while her husband fished.

Shortly after she saw him bending over, Okyoun Rhim looked up from her reading and couldn't see her husband, Scott said.

Rhim raced to the water, where she saw her husband in the surf. A person passing by helped Rhim pull her husband out of the surf and then began CPR, Scott said.

The cause of death is accidental drowning.

Surf perch fishing is increasingly popular along the Washington coast. Large surf perch derbies attract hundreds of anglers, and the fish are plentiful and top-notch eating.

Jim Jackson of Angler Charters in Westport, Wash., an experienced surf perch angler, said anyone in or near the surf should follow these rules:

* Don't ever turn your back on the ocean, as a bigger wave could be rolling in.

* Always fish with a partner.

* If you're wearing waders, use a wading belt to keep your waders from filling with water and dragging you under.

* Anglers catch surf perch near rips -— areas where fast water is moving off the beach -— but they keep well away from the rips themselves.

* Some surf perch anglers wear wetsuits to stay warm and lessen drag from water.

* If you're caught in a rip, don't panic. Relax and let the water carry you out while you swim parallel to the beach. Most of the time, swimming 50 feet to 100 feet will get you out of the rip and you can let the waves carry you to shore. It's often possible to stand on the bottom and wade back to the beach once you've gone parallel to shore and gotten out of the rip.

* Never swim against a rip. "If you fight it, you're going to die, pure and simple," Jackson said. "Swim to the side, and it will let you go."

* Don't wade past your knees. Surf perch often lurk between the breaking waves, so cast into the troughs and stay away from deeper water.

* Stay away from rips, which often look like a churning river flowing off the beach. No fish is worth your life.

* Don't lose sight of what is going on around you. Always look to see whether a rip is forming near you or a bigger wave is headed for shore. Consider wearing a flotation device.

* Remember, coastal waters often cold.

* Stop fishing if you start to shiver, your teeth begin chattering or it becomes difficult to tie on a hook. Get out of the water and get warm.