A man taking a selfie at Great Falls, at the border of Maryland and Virginia, fell into the raging Potomac River and barely escaped with his life.
The man was posing for a picture when he slipped and fell into the river, which was running at a high level and speed after the recent heavy rains, on Sept. 30.
Fortunately for the man, some bystanders worked together to rescue him. They probably saved his life.
“We believe that their actions were likely lifesaving in this case,” Piringer said.
Video footage recorded by others showed the rescue.
The man fell in around 5:30 p.m. just south of the visitor’s center, near Olmstead Island.
The rushing water prompted officials to issue flood warnings for the areas around the Potomac late Sunday, and a number of trails inside Great Falls Park were closed due to flooding.
Fatalities at Great Falls
Swimming and entering the Potomac is prohibited, according to the National Park Service.“Dangerous currents, rocks, and rapids make the river extremely hazardous. Rescues from the river itself are difficult. Keep your distance from cliff edges and use caution while hiking in rocky areas,” the service stated.
A number of people do go swimming and cliff jumping into the river, while others fall out of kayaks or slip while taking pictures or fishing.
“People think, ‘If this place was dangerous, they wouldn’t let me be down here,’” Lawrence Mullin, a member of a white-water rescue team from Fairfax County, told the Post.
Many dangers exist that can’t be seen, including entrapments such as fallen trees and tangles of fishing line and potholes in the riverbed. Cliff jumping is popular, but one wrong jump can result in serious injury or death.
A 2011 study by the service found that more than 50 percent of injuries in the river are fatal.
