The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism has requested funding to develop the site, and Chester County is actively preparing for the project. Rezoning requests for Duke Energy-owned properties are set to be reviewed by the county planning commission on Sept. 16.
The planning commission will consider zoning changes for six properties that total more than 800 acres. These properties include the approximately 500-acre Dearborn Island, also known as Big Island, located between Great Falls and the Stumpy Pond Access Area in Lancaster County, and the over 300-acre Mountain Island situated just north of it.
A Fredericksburg, Virginia, man has been arrested for a sexual assault case over four decades old.
A Fredericksburg, Virginia, man has been arrested for a sexual assault case over four decades old.
On June 7, a woman told Fairfax County police that she was sexually assaulted numerous times as a child between 1980 and 1983 on a horse farm in Great Falls.
After investigating the report, detectives arrested Edward Shelton, 81, of Fredericksburg.
Police said in a release that he worked as a farrier on various horse farms throughout Northern Virginia and Stafford County during that time period.
Shelton turned himself in to the Stafford County Sherriff’s Office on Thursday and will be transferred to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
He faces two counts of indecent liberties and is being held without bond.
Police are urging any other victims to come forward by calling their Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 4.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
A body recovered from the Potomac River on Monday is believed to be a young man who went missing last Friday while attempting to swim from Virginia to Maryland.
This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker. In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker.
Body pulled from Potomac River believed to be missing swimmer
A body recovered from the Potomac River on Monday is believed to be a young man who went missing last Friday while attempting to swim from Virginia to Maryland.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer told WTOP two swimmers near Great Falls tried to cross from Virginia into Maryland on Friday evening.
On Sunday afternoon, sonar equipment indicated a body may have been stuck in some rocks close to the area the swimmer was last seen.
As crews prepared to investigate the sonar imaging Monday morning, officials got a tip.
“A local kayaker noticed the body floating in the water,” Piringer said. “That body has since been recovered.”
Montgomery County police are leading the death investigation. U.S. Park police assisted county police in the search and recovery efforts.
Swimming spot draws ‘unusual’ number of young swimmers to danger
The man has not been identified publicly. His death comes as good weather has drawn visitors out to Great Falls, even though swimming in the Potomac is illegal and violators can be fined.
In the past few weeks leading up to Memorial Day, Piringer said the department has responded to around a half dozen incidents in the Great Falls area.
Crews on the seen of the Potomac River where a body was found on May 27, 2024, that’s believed to be a missing swimmer.
(Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
A young man went missing after attempting to swim across the channel from Virginia to Maryland on May 24, 2024.
(Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Swimming isn’t allowed at Great Falls. But a spokesman with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue said a beach along the river has become a popular destination for young people to dive in.
(Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
“The water levels are about four feet, which is relatively high, but the currents are treacherous,” Piringer said.
Just in the past week or so, the department has contributed to two notable water rescues. One involved two kayakers who went over the falls.
These two young people were lucky that they survived that ordeal. One had to be plucked off the rocks by the helicopter and was taken to a trauma center.
In several instances, swimmers have been swept away, including one where rescue crews plucked someone out of the water.
“There have been an unusual number of young people, groups that have been swimming,” Piringer said.
In particular, groups are gathering at Purple Horse Beach and Sandy Landing. Piringer said though swimming is not allowed and “dangerous,” there are some rocks swimmers jump off into the water below.
“When you’re jumping in the water, there’s hazards underneath the water that might be unseen,” he said.
Another potential danger is that water levels change daily and the currents are strong, Piringer said.
Last year, water levels were low so young people “could swim safely and got away with it,” he said. “But water is different this year it’s higher, because currents are much stronger.”
Officials are on Billy Goat Trail along the Potomac River Monday reminding visitors on safety tips, according to Piringer.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this story.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
A man is presumed to have drowned after trying to swim across the Potomac River from Virginia to Maryland near Great Falls on Friday, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials.
Rescue crews resumed their search Saturday morning for a man presumed to have drowned after trying to swim across the Potomac River from Virginia to Maryland near Great Falls on Friday.
(Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Public Information Officer David Pazos said rescue crews will be working in shifts throughout Saturday to continue their search of the area.
(Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Swimming is illegal in the Potomac River due to “the dangers underneath the water,” Pazos said.
(Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
A man is presumed to have drowned after trying to swim across the Potomac River from Virginia to Maryland near Great Falls on Friday, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials.
Police and rescue units were called to the C&O Canal National Park at around 8:45 p.m. Friday. Witnesses told first responders they saw the missing swimmer enter the water in the Sandy Landing area. Rescue crews searched until 11 p.m. but did not find the swimmer.
The search resumed at 9 a.m. Saturday, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Public Information Officer Pete Piringer. In a social media post, Piringer said the swimmer is presumed to have drowned.
Morning Update (5/25) @mcfrs Swift Water Rescue boat crews have returned to Potomac River, near Great Falls this morning to continue a search for a missing swimmer (5/24) now presumed to have drowned – a systematic search of the area continues w/ a new contingent of search crews pic.twitter.com/lQTRDYU46b
According to David Pazos, another public information officer with the department, police are still “working to verify” that the swimmer did not make it out of the water.
“We are doing our due diligence and assisting, while that’s occurring, to make sure that the person is not in the water,” he said.
Pazos said rescue crews will be working in shifts throughout Saturday to continue their search of the area.
@mcfrs Swift Water Team members were unsuccessful in locating the missing person last night, IAO Sandy Landing/Potomac River. Crews are scheduled to go out again for their 2nd activity search around 1230pm today. @DavidPazos15@mcfrsPIOpic.twitter.com/OtMon82MRg
WTOP news partner 7News reported that two similar rescue efforts have taken place in the Great Falls area during the past two weeks, including a distressed swimmer on May 21 and two kayakers on May 16, all of whom were rescued.
It is illegal to swim in the Potomac River. That’s because the water is dangerous, Pazos said.
“There is a lot of current underneath the water and a lot of whirlpools that will actually bring a swimmer down into the water,” he said. “And we’ve had many deaths and many injuries from people that have looked at the water and, in appearance, have thought that it’s relatively calm — but it’s not underneath.”
For kayakers, Pazos stressed the importance of knowing the currents, bringing proper gear like a life vest and helmet and going in a group.
With Memorial Day weekend underway, Pazos is reminding Great Falls visitors to wear appropriate footwear, stay hydrated and keep away from the water.
“You have to realize the dangers underneath the water,” he said. “We are not encouraging anyone to come close to the water.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
