Rescuers searched for the body of a 67-year-old man who slipped from the rocks on the Virginia side of the Potomac River near the Chain Bridge.
D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo told WTOP a family member saw the man, who is considered a “moderately good” swimmer, fall at 7:40 a.m. Friday.
After a 75-minute search that used fireboats, inflatables, and people and dogs searching the shoreline, the search turned into a recovery operation.
Boats were monitoring the river downstream to find the man.
Update water rescue Chain Bridge. Sadly, we have transitioned from a rescue to a recovery mode after an intensive 75 minute search effort. pic.twitter.com/KtMGEcoLN2
— DC Fire and EMS #StayHomeDC (@dcfireems) May 8, 2020
Chain Bridge was closed in both directions between Va. 123 and Canal Road for almost two hours.
Multiple agencies assisted D.C. Fire and EMS, including the D.C. police, Arlington County Fire Department and the U.S. Park Police.
WTOP’s Megan Cloherty and Fonda Mwangi contributed to this story.
