Even though the rippling waters of the Potomac River may look inviting, anyone that ventures outdoors should know that it can be a very dangerous place. In 2009 there were six drownings on the river in the Washington area alone. Sadly, the river took two more lives just a few weeks ago. A mother and her daughter were on the Virginia side of the Potomac near Difficult Run, during the Memorial Day weekend at a gathering when, the accident occurred. By the end of the week both women were found about a mile and a half downriver from where they were last seen.

This horrible event should be a vivid reminder of several precautions that we all must adhere to whenever we are near that great expanse of water, the Potomac River. Of course, all the usual water and boating safety rules apply and just as important to remember is to never underestimate the river’s power. The river is full of under currents that can grab you and pull you along, way before you realize what has happened. Also, even though the rocks that jut out into the water may give you a closer view of the river, they are also very slippery when wet and they could spill you right into those currents in a split second. Washington Post staff writer Dan Morse said in a June 2nd article that, “While it is against the law to swim in the river, as pronounced by signs in the area, people get in trouble by wading into what seem to be calm waters to cool down, or by walking along the many rocky edges and falling in.”

“The calm surface is deceptive,” Fire Chief Richard Bowers of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services said in  Gazette article. “Under the water are currents deadlier than ocean riptides that can take you down in seconds.” In closing, although the Potomac River is a place for friends and family to come together to enjoy each others company, we must always remember Chief Bowers’ words that the river is deceptive. If we keep those words close at hand, then we should still be able to enjoy the Potomac River everyday…safely.