Montgomery County is considering increased enforcement along the Potomac River after two people drowned near Great Falls in less than a month, County Executive Marc Elrich and other officials said Thursday.

Elrich called the deaths "tragedies" during his weekly media briefing and urged residents to stay out of the river entirely.

"This river is not where you should be going to swim," Elrich said.

The county's Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Earl Stoddard said any stepped-up patrols would come in partnership with U.S. Park Police during peak summer months. Stoddard acknowledged the challenge: much of the shoreline is federally owned, and there are many access points where swimmers can enter the water.

The two victims died 18 days apart along the MacArthur Boulevard corridor familiar to many Bethesda residents. Nazir Bell, 20, of Germantown, a Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School graduate, went missing in June while swimming near Billy Goat Trail A and Sandy Landing in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. His body was recovered on June 16, after a search lasting about 20 hours over three days.

A 16-year-old boy went missing on July 2, at about 6:15 a.m. while swimming with friends near the 10800 block of MacArthur Boulevard. Montgomery County Police and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) swift water team recovered his body on July 3, at about 9:30 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police spokesperson Degan Bartels said the department would not publicly identify the teen because he is a minor.

The area near Sandy Landing where crews searched is 65 to 70 feet deep in parts with "next to no visibility," MCFRS Assistant Chief Daniel Ogren said.

Swimming near Great Falls is prohibited under National Park Service regulations, and warning signs are posted along the river. People caught swimming face a minimum $200 fine. County police, MCFRS personnel, and U.S. Park Police patrol the shoreline, though MCFRS does not enforce the swimming ban.

MCFRS Battalion Chief Tony Scott has said publicly that the county has "lost a life every single year from that river."

Officials directed residents to use Montgomery County's public pools as a safe alternative. Pool locations are listed at montgomerycountymd.gov.