Overview
- Nazir Bell, 20, went missing after going under while swimming with friends near the Billy Goat Trail A and Sandy Landing on Sunday and never resurfaced.
- Search crews recovered Bell’s body on Tuesday, ending an operation that shifted from rescue to recovery over the course of nearly two days.
- More than 40 responders from Maryland and Virginia took part in the effort using boats, shoreline teams, helicopters, sonar and thermal imaging to search the fast-moving river.
- Bell’s family held vigil during the search and Towson University issued a statement saying the campus community is heartbroken by the loss.
- Officials noted the Potomac near Great Falls has powerful currents, murky water and submerged hazards that complicate searches and warned that some sections are closed to swimming as investigators continue to review the circumstances.