“A swimmer could very much be in a fight for their life prior to us arriving, and have lost that fight.” MCFRS is asking anyone who is visiting the Potomac River to be aware of the dangers and respect the river. (From an awesome interview w/ Bureau Chief Kris Ankarlo WNEW)īillie Goat Trail Information - Preview Conditions & Check out the Safety Video The Billy Goat Trail, especially section A, is challenging and dangerous. Captain Bell notes that it can take up to 20 minutes just to reach the scene. Too often by the time swimmers realize they are in trouble, it’s too late. And then it’s going to depend on where in the river from where we launch as to how long it takes us.”
![montgomery county fire and rescue quicklinks montgomery county fire and rescue quicklinks](https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.31/9nk.724.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PFT-1-Night-6.jpg)
“Usually we’re out of the fire house within a matter of a minute, and then we have to go down there and it’s going to be five to ten minutes to get to the river’s edge to put the boat in. Even so, he says it’s tough to rescue someone once they are already in the river’s grasp. And as soon as you lose that, you run that panic sensation and you can very easily drown.”īell and his team are well-trained, with plenty of experience. “I feel like I’m safe because I have my footing and I step into an eddy or something and I’m relatively safe there, but then as soon as I take one step to the rear of where I’m at it’ll drop from a four to five foot to a 20 to 30 foot drop. The river’s bottom is too often underestimated. Mud and silt and pollutants make it impossible to see more than a few inches below the water’s surface. “And the trees, they create what we call a strainer effect where, if you get swept into them, you can very easily get caught and trapped by your body.” Even wading into the river can lead to a dangerous situation. The river is moving fast and there are a lot of hazards that you can get pinned up against, get your feet trapped in,” says Bell. Uprooted trees, debris, hidden boulders and other hazards create a situation so dangerous for swimming that wading and swimming is illegal in many places. Important to keep in mind that the falls are only a piece of a complicated section of river spanning about seven miles. This stutter-step in the earth’s crust makes Great Falls a beautiful spot, it also makes it dangerous." It is a turbulent zone where water comes into conflict with geology.
![montgomery county fire and rescue quicklinks montgomery county fire and rescue quicklinks](https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/frs-ql/Resources/Images/apparatus/pics/rs/engines_in_row2.jpg)
![montgomery county fire and rescue quicklinks montgomery county fire and rescue quicklinks](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0715/3079/products/Maryland-Paramedic-MDEr_large.jpg)
These dynamics are especially pronounced in the area of the river called the Potomac Gorge. But, because the river is a very high-volume flowing river there is a very strong undercurrent with lots of rocks, lots of unseen obstacles and the water is never clear, so you can never see what you’re getting into. "The Potomac is very deceptive, it has some spots that look very calm, very tranquil, look very easy to swim in.