Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 18:49     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know there are signs there but on a nice, sunny Sunday, you think there would have been Park Rangers or more people that would have seen the group and told them to get out of the water.


And who would be paying those extra park rangers? NPS budget doesn’t cover it.


I don't know that this PP meant extra park rangers. I think on such a beautiful day, Trail A would be busy, and the regular rangers and hikers would have noticed this group and suggested they get out of the water. Regardless, it is so sad, and I am devastated for this grieving family.


You are not getting it. I went to a park and there were no park rangers. An unpaid volunteer took us around.

The budget has been cut by trump. He hates parks.


I'm sorry I had no idea the NPS funding was cut that much. That is terrible and rangers could have possibly held to avert this horrible tragedy.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 18:04     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know there are signs there but on a nice, sunny Sunday, you think there would have been Park Rangers or more people that would have seen the group and told them to get out of the water.


And who would be paying those extra park rangers? NPS budget doesn’t cover it.


I don't know that this PP meant extra park rangers. I think on such a beautiful day, Trail A would be busy, and the regular rangers and hikers would have noticed this group and suggested they get out of the water. Regardless, it is so sad, and I am devastated for this grieving family.


You are not getting it. I went to a park and there were no park rangers. An unpaid volunteer took us around.

The budget has been cut by trump. He hates parks.

Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 18:01     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know there are signs there but on a nice, sunny Sunday, you think there would have been Park Rangers or more people that would have seen the group and told them to get out of the water.


And who would be paying those extra park rangers? NPS budget doesn’t cover it.


not in the Trump Admin. Didn't they cut NPS funding?


DOGE cut NPS and park rangers. They want to sell the lands to their friends.

People die when those who can protect us are fired for no reason.

Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 17:49     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The deceased looks very attractive + charismatic in his pics. Such a sad story.

I was a lifeguard and swim teacher for many years in HS + college. Sadly, many US cities closed public pools so many people never learned to swim.


What does attractiveness have to do with how sad this is? Sorry but it sounds like you care more because he was attractive.


This thread turned real weird real quick.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 17:41     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:The deceased looks very attractive + charismatic in his pics. Such a sad story.

I was a lifeguard and swim teacher for many years in HS + college. Sadly, many US cities closed public pools so many people never learned to swim.


What does attractiveness have to do with how sad this is? Sorry but it sounds like you care more because he was attractive.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 15:59     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know there are signs there but on a nice, sunny Sunday, you think there would have been Park Rangers or more people that would have seen the group and told them to get out of the water.


And who would be paying those extra park rangers? NPS budget doesn’t cover it.


I don't know that this PP meant extra park rangers. I think on such a beautiful day, Trail A would be busy, and the regular rangers and hikers would have noticed this group and suggested they get out of the water. Regardless, it is so sad, and I am devastated for this grieving family.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 15:57     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Thanks for starting a thread, OP, so DCUM can be snarky and judgmental and totally unsympathetic. Much appreciated.


Not OP, but while there are snarky posters who are being incredibly heartless about this tragedy, it is a good reminder to talk to your kids and young adults about the dangers of the Potomac at Great Falls.


No one's being heartless. A precious life was stupidly wasted, despite all the signs posted on the spot to warn against swimming there. I think posters are angry, but they have no one to direct their anger towards, since all the professionals did their duty to warn, and the one most at fault paid the ultimate price.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 15:55     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know there are signs there but on a nice, sunny Sunday, you think there would have been Park Rangers or more people that would have seen the group and told them to get out of the water.


And who would be paying those extra park rangers? NPS budget doesn’t cover it.


not in the Trump Admin. Didn't they cut NPS funding?
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 15:54     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's enraging. There are signs everywhere that swimming leads to drowning deaths. The park rangers could not be more clear on this. Rescuers' lives are on the line every time they attempt a rescue or recovery operation.

We're a BCC family and I have a kid the same age as this young man. I just feel rage. What prompted him to do this???


I think it was just a nice day and a few 20-year-olds were swimming back and forth between MD and VA. Tragic.


No one can swim across at Great Falls and live to tell the tale. This kid tried and died. The others clearly did not attempt, otherwise they would have died too.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 15:45     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DC native here. I'm 53 and I've lost count of how many people have drowned within a mile of the falls. Like, 2 or 3 every year at least. So preventable. Just stay the f&&k out of the river.


Probably should have some signs.


There are signs in multiple languages.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 15:39     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Thanks for starting a thread, OP, so DCUM can be snarky and judgmental and totally unsympathetic. Much appreciated.


Not OP, but while there are snarky posters who are being incredibly heartless about this tragedy, it is a good reminder to talk to your kids and young adults about the dangers of the Potomac at Great Falls.


And the dangers of moving water in general.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 15:31     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:DC native here. I'm 53 and I've lost count of how many people have drowned within a mile of the falls. Like, 2 or 3 every year at least. So preventable. Just stay the f&&k out of the river.


Probably should have some signs.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 14:32     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
DC native here. I'm 53 and I've lost count of how many people have drowned within a mile of the falls. Like, 2 or 3 every year at least. So preventable. Just stay the f&&k out of the river.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 13:29     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:Thanks for starting a thread, OP, so DCUM can be snarky and judgmental and totally unsympathetic. Much appreciated.


Not OP, but while there are snarky posters who are being incredibly heartless about this tragedy, it is a good reminder to talk to your kids and young adults about the dangers of the Potomac at Great Falls.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 12:38     Subject: Great Falls Drowning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The deceased looks very attractive + charismatic in his pics. Such a sad story.

I was a lifeguard and swim teacher for many years in HS + college. Sadly, many US cities closed public pools so many people never learned to swim.


Sad, true, irrelevant.

No one, not even a strong swimmer, should try to swim across the Potomac at Great Falls. It is deadly dangerous to attempt it. That’s the point of all the posted warnings.


This needs to be hammered over and over. Literally no one should be swimming at Great Falls. Not an Olympic swimmer.

Like I know people who have done the Alcatraz swim and even that is less dangerous than swimming in rapids. I cannot emphasize how dangerous those Falls are.