Two kayakers are safe today after a grueling 30-hour ordeal on the Potomac River ended in a dramatic nighttime rescue on Thursday, September 24, 2026.The missing paddlers were discovered uninjured on Craney Island, huddled inside a duck blind just north of Potomac Heights in Charles County, Maryland.
The incident began Wednesday, prompting a massive multi-agency search spanning both the Maryland and Virginia shores of the Potomac River. For nearly a day and a half, rescue crews combed the water with no sign of the duo.
The breakthrough came around 8:30 p.m. Thursday evening when Fireboat 8 from the Tenth District Volunteer Fire Department launched a five-member crew to aid Fairfax County authorities in a final push to locate the missing kayakers.
As Fireboat 8 pushed through the darkness toward Craney Island, crew members scanning the Maryland shoreline spotted a frantic commotion. The two missing individuals were inside a duck blind, waving their arms wildly to catch the vessel's attention.
Rescuers quickly pulled the kayakers aboard Fireboat 8, where a preliminary medical evaluation confirmed that, despite their extended exposure, both were in good health and uninjured.
The kayakers were subsequently transferred to Fairfax County Fireboat 420 and transported back to the Virginia shoreline, where their fateful journey had originally begun.
Local officials are reminding residents to always check river conditions, wear life jackets, and carry communication devices when heading out onto the water.