Updated
Updated · WTOP · Jun 15
Potomac Search Resumes for Missing 20-Year-Old Towson Student as Experts Warn of Strong Currents
Updated
Updated · WTOP · Jun 15

Potomac Search Resumes for Missing 20-Year-Old Towson Student as Experts Warn of Strong Currents

3 articles · Updated · WTOP · Jun 15

Summary

  • Rescue crews returned to the Potomac River on Monday afternoon to continue searching for a 20-year-old Towson University student who disappeared while swimming over the weekend.
  • Strong, fast-moving currents in parts of the Potomac are a central danger, open-water swimmer Katie Pumphrey said, adding that rivers pose different risks from lakes because of currents and tidal changes.
  • Pumphrey also warned swimmers to avoid water 48 hours after heavy rain, watch for debris and poor water quality, and stay in designated swim areas away from boats.
  • Open-water swimming has grown in popularity, but Pumphrey said organized events can offer a safer entry point; more than 100 swimmers joined Baltimore's first organized Inner Harbor open-water swim in decades last week.

Insights

The Potomac is illegal to swim in and notoriously deadly. Why do people keep dying in its waters?
Experts say a life jacket is the most crucial safety tool. Why are so many victims found without one?