Body found after person went missing trying to swim from Virginia to Maryland, officials say
A body recovered from the Potomac River is presumed to be a young person who went missing Friday after trying to swim from Virginia to Maryland, authorities said.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue crews used sonar to locate the body underwater among some rocks before dragging it out Monday, Pete Piringer, the agency's public information officer, said in an X post. A local kayaker reported the body after noticing it floating in the water, Piringer added.
Authorities initially received a report of a "couple of swimmers" attempting to swim between the Mid-Atlantic states, Piringer said in a video posted on X. At some point, one of the swimmers became "distressed," went underwater and had not been seen since, according to the spokesperson.
The swimmer was presumed to have drowned, Piringer said in the video posted Monday, adding how crews had been searching for the individual for "the last couple of days."
"Montgomery County police are conducting the death investigation," according to Piringer. "We believe (the body) to be the swimmer that was presumed drowned and missing since Friday."
'Unusual number of young people' reported swimming in Potomac River
Montgomery Fire and Rescue has been "pretty busy" over the last couple of weeks as far as responses to the Potomac River, Piringer said during a video interview with WTOP-FM.
"There have been an unusual number of young people in groups that have been swimming," Piringer said.
Piringer told the radio station how Purple Horse Beach and Sandy Landing have become "very popular spots" near the river among young people who like to jump off rocks into the water.
"Not only is swimming prohibited for good reason, it's dangerous," the spokesperson said. "Water levels change every day, the currents are very strong (and) the water is different this year."
The water is higher due to the currents being "much stronger," Piringer said during the interview.
"The water levels are about four feet, which is relatively high," according to the spokesperson. "The currents are treacherous, dangerous and to that point, swimming is prohibited in the area of Great Falls, (Maryland)."
The only constant is the water's temperature, which the Piringer said is "typically cold all year round" at about 67 degrees.
Potomac River is 'very deceptive'
The Potomac River is "very deceptive," Capt. Andy Bell said in a Montgomery County Fire and Rescue news release.
"(The Potomac River) has some spots that look very calm, very tranquil, look very easy to swim in. But, because the river is a very high-volume flowing river there is a very strong undercurrent with lots of rocks, lots of unseen obstacles and the water is never clear, so you can never see what you’re getting into," Bell said.
Bell called one of the most turbulent and pronounced zones in the river the "Potomac Gorge."
"This stutter-step in the earth’s crust makes Great Falls a beautiful spot, it also makes it dangerous," according to the captain. "The falls are only a piece of a complicated section of river spanning about seven miles. Uprooted trees, debris, hidden boulders, and other hazards create a situation so dangerous for swimming that wading and swimming are illegal in many places."