WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Va. — An approximately 65-year-old man was recovered from the Potomac River and pronounced dead Monday following a large-scale search near Shark Tooth Island.
Emergency crews were dispatched around 2:08 p.m. Aug. 3, 2026, after receiving reports that the man had fallen from a boat into the water. He was reportedly not wearing a life jacket and had last been seen above the surface about 10 minutes before the initial 911 call.
The Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office, local fire departments and Westmoreland County EMS responded as the operation quickly expanded to include rescue boats from Westmoreland and King George counties, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, St. Mary’s and Charles counties and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Helicopters from the Maryland State Police Aviation Command and U.S. Coast Guard also assisted with the search.
A St. Mary’s County marine unit arrived around 2:41 p.m. and deployed side-scan sonar. After completing several search patterns, the crew identified a possible location for the missing man near the shoreline of Shark Tooth Island.
The victim was recovered around 3:55 p.m. in Virginia waters and taken to the Virginia shoreline, where he was transferred to authorities and pronounced deceased.
His identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
The Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
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