10 people rescued from Potomac River in Montgomery County

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. ( DC News Now ) — The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) said crews rescued 10 people from the Potomac River in the area of Beech Island and Blockhouse Point on Sunday.

In a post on X, MCFRS assistant chief David Pazos said that at about 2:30 p.m., crews were dispatched for a group of people stranded on an island after their kayak floated downstream.

According to Pazos, while crews were helping those swimmers, 911 received another call for a person in the water nearby, near Blockhouse Point.

MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer said that crews from MCFRS and Fairfax County pulled one or two people from the water, rescued several from rocks and hoisted others from an island, where they sought refuge.

A Maryland State Police helicopter rescued three of the 10 people via helicopter basket. Crews also recovered multiple kayaks.

In an update at 5:16 p.m., medics provided care to all of those rescued, but no one was transported.

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