Community Corner

Kayaker Drowns in Potomac River near Great Falls

Two kayakers went overboard near Great Falls on Thursday. One was rescued; the other drowned in the water.

by Laura Thornton

Update (Thursday, July 11, 10 p.m.): 

Rescue workers who had been searching for two kayakers in the Potomac River Thursday afternoon near Great Falls were able to rescue one of those kayakers.

The second kayaker's body was found around 7 p.m.—that person had apparently drowned, according to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service's Twitter feed.

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Original post, Thursday afternoon

Rescue crews searched for two kayakers in the Potomac River near Great Falls Thursday afternoon,according to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service's Twitter feed.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, one kayaker had been rescued and rescuers continued to search for a second kayaker—a woman wearing a black personal flotation device, according to MCFRS tweets. A U.S. Park Police helicopter was assisting with the search.

The currents in the Potomac River near Great Falls are known to be deadly, Patch reported earlier this month. 


“People think that the water doesn’t have the power that it does,” but it’s more powerful than even an Olympic swimmer, Jon James, Deputy Superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, said.

Already this summer, two people have drowned in the Potomac River near Great Falls, Patch reported on June 26 and July 1.



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