Montgomery County crews search for missing 16-year-old in Potomac River

Swimmer last seen between Sandy Landing Boat Ramp and Maryland shore; Fairfax County dive team standing by

July 2, 2026 11:10 a.m.

The Potomac River near Great Falls. Photo credit: Joseph Thompson for the Montgomery County Council

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews are searching for a swimmer who went missing Thursday morning in the Potomac River, according to radio transmissions and a post on social media from spokesperson David Pazos.

According to Pazos, MCFRS swift water team units were dispatched at approximately 6:15 a.m. Thursday to the Great Falls Park area of the Potomac River for a report of a person missing in the water.

Radio transmissions indicate the swimmer, a 16-year-old male wearing dark swim trunks, was with a group of friends when he went under the water. He was last seen between the Sandy Landing Boat Ramp and the Maryland shore.

Today @615am @mcfrs Swift Water Team units were dispatched to Great Falls Park/Potomac River for a person missing in the water. Initial reports were the male was with a group, this male entered the water and did not resurface. SWater Teams are actively searching. @mcfrsPIO pic.twitter.com/Axc8tLxMhP
— Pazos@mcfrsPIO (@DavidPazos15) July 2, 2026

At approximately 8:34 a.m., Montgomery County crews requested assistance from the Fairfax County dive team, according to radio transmissions. Fairfax County crews also were using drones to search the shoreline, according to radio transmissions.

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The incident marks the second swimmer to go missing in the Potomac River in recent weeks. On June 14, 20-year-old Nazir Bell of Germantown went missing near Billy Goat Trail A and Sandy Landing in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Bell was found drowned on June 16 following a search and rescue operation that lasted about 20 hours over three days.

Swimming in the Potomac River is highly dangerous and discouraged by public safety officials. During a Tuesday press conference at the Isiah “Ike” Leggett Executive Office Building in Rockville, MCFRS Battalion Chief Tony Scott cautioned county residents to only swim in bodies of water that are guarded.

“We have lost a life every single year from that river,” Scott said. “We have absolutely great county pools, local pools, recreational areas — swim over there. Hang out there. Do not go swimming in the Potomac River.”

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine