Potomac River Rescues

During the past few days, Washington D.C. Fire and Rescue crews have been busy with a series of rescues from the Potomac River. This Tuesday, a man fell into the river from a ten-foot ledge at Georgetown Waterfront Park. The man was reportedly taking photos over the ledge, fell into the water, and was unable to climb out by himself.

According to Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, a call was made around 9:15 p.m. The District’s Fire Boat rescued the man from the water. After being evaluated by EMS at a nearby boathouse, the man was found to be uninjured.

The second rescue occurred on Sunday night, when three teenagers were rescued after trying to swim across the Potomac. DC Fire-EMS and U.S. Park Police crews used thermal imagery to find two of the teens on Theodore Roosevelt Island, where they were hiding. One male was found by the Georgetown waterfront and treated for hypothermia. The others, a male and a female, were transported. The teens may face charges, as swimming is not allowed in the river.

According to Georgetown Patch, three people drowned in the stretch of the Potomac from Great Falls to Georgetown last year.