(File photo by Alexander Nguyen/Times of San Diego)
Oceanside lifeguards have rescued a swimmer who was sent to the hospital in critical condition.
Lifeguards, along with Oceanside firefighters and police, responded just after 4:20 p.m. Friday near 600 The Strand North, according to a news release from the Oceanside Fire Department. Family members on the beach pointed out the area where the swimmer had last been seen.
Lifeguards in rescue watercraft and a boat, joined by fire units, began an extensive search along the shoreline and in the water. Authorities sought air support from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department helicopter unit, ASTREA, which ultimately located the missing swimmer just south of Oceanside Pier.
The lifeguard and fire units pulled the swimmer from the water. The patient required “advanced life support care on scene,” officials said, before being taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
The fire department offered no other details about the swimmer, including age or gender.
EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) — Crews pulled a missing swimmer’s body from Lake Michigan at Evanston’s Lighthouse Beach after an extensive search on Saturday night, fire officials said.
Officials initially responded to the scene at 2611 Sheridan Road around 7 p.m. for a report of three men in their 20s who were struggling in the water.
Bystanders rescued two swimmers from the water, fire officials said. The two rescued men were evaluated and released on the scene.
First responders with the Evanston Fire Department, the Chicago Fire Department and the Coast Guard searched for a third swimmer and found his body around 9:40 p.m. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
The medical examiner’s office identified him as 24-year-old Hanover Park man Saher Khan.
Evanston’s fire chief says lake conditions made the search difficult.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the victim’s family and loved ones,” said Evanston Fire Chief Paul Polep. “This is a constant reminder to anyone that these waters are dangerous and should adhere to the posted no swimming signs. We thank our regional partners, including MABAS Division 3, the Coast Guard, and the Chicago Fire Department, for their swift assistance.”
Officials are investigating and did not immediately provide further information.
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) — Crews will head back to Lake Michigan on Sunday morning to continue their search, now a recovery mission, for a missing swimmer in the north suburbs.
The person was last seen struggling in the water on Saturday around noon near the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve at Fort Sheridan in Highland Park.
Emergency crews in north suburban Highland Park spent hours Saturday unsuccessfully searching for a missing swimmer in Lake Michigan, according to city officials.
Highland Park police and fire departments responded to the water near Openlands Lakeshore Preserve at Fort Sheridan around noon for reports of a distressed swimmer. A bystander tried helping the swimmer but was unable to reach them due to Lake Michigan’s strong currents, the city said in a news release.
The swimmer hasn’t yet been identified, officials said.
The fire department’s water rescue team immediately started rescue efforts and police used a drone to help with the search, officials said. During the search, a dive team member was briefly reported missing but was found safe and uninjured, according to the city.
By 6 p.m., the swimmer still hadn’t been found and authorities shifted to a recovery operation. Divers were expected to resume their search at 8 a.m. Sunday, officials said.
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.
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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.
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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.”
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