Kayaker dies in Potomac River near Great Falls
One man died after a kayaking mishap in the Potomac River near Great Falls, where emergency crews said low water made parts of the river especially treacherous.
The Potomac River is seen in this general view at Great Falls Park, Monday, March 9, 2020, in McLean, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Tenally)
A kayaking trip turned deadly on the Potomac River on Sunday after three people became separated from their boats near Great Falls and one man suffered a medical emergency.
Around 2 p.m. EDT, authorities were alerted to the incident in the Great Falls area of the Potomac River, northwest of Washington, D.C.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue and other emergency crews rushed to the scene. CPR was administered to the man, who was in a life-threatening condition. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"We believe they were boating in and around the Great Falls and somehow got caught up in some hydraulics up in that area," said Pete Piringer, Chief Spokesperson for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.
"The water is very low, so it's treacherous in some areas," Piringer added.
The Great Falls area of the Potomac River is located northwest of Washington, D.C., and includes some areas of rapids and waterfalls.
Weather conditions were dry on Sunday afternoon with breezes up to 23 mph and air temperatures around 60 degrees.
Police are conducting an investigation into the incident.
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