Don’t be alarmed if you see a lot of first responders on the Potomac River on Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Coast Guard and several other federal, state and local law enforcement and rescue agencies will carry out a drill simulating a mass water rescue near National Harbor.
Starting around 9 a.m., first responders will simulate a massive response involving multiple water rescues from a staged boating accident in the area of the ferry terminal at National Harbor.
Prince George’s County police, one of several agencies participating in the exercise, tweeted that the drill will likely be visible from Interstate 495 on the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.
TUESDAY MOCK EXERCISE: starting at 9am, our Marine Unit & other agencies will hold a mock training exercise on the Potomac River. There could be a large first responder presence seen from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Pls RT! pic.twitter.com/wf8TNvjYXY
— PGPDNEWS (@PGPDNews) June 17, 2019
Water taxis supplied by Entertainment Cruises will be used to simulate the incident, and students from George Washington University will participate, according to Coast Guard spokesman Andy Kendrick.
Kendrick said the drill is meant to bolster efficient coordination in the event of a large-scale emergency.
