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Fairfax and Montgomery County rescue crews resumed searching the Potomac River near Great Falls on the morning of July 29 for a swimmer reported missing a day earlier.
The emergency began at approximately 1:30 p.m. July 28, when a man on the shoreline called 911 after an incident involving two swimmers south of Sandy Landing.
One of the swimmers, described as being in his late teens or early 20s, made it out of the river. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel evaluated and treated him at the scene.
The other swimmer, described as approximately 25 years old, remained missing as of the article’s publication July 29.
Crews mounted an extensive response on the first day of the search, deploying nine swift-water boats along with sonar, underwater drones and a K9. Evening storms forced responders to pause the operation before the swimmer was located.
Fire and rescue crews from Fairfax and Montgomery counties returned the following morning to continue searching. A Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman said operations would continue on the morning of July 30 if the swimmer was not found sooner.
The search comes as officials prohibit swimming and wading in the Potomac River around Great Falls. Earlier in the summer, a 20-year-old and a 16-year-old died in separate incidents on the river.