Montgomery County Police on Wednesday, Aug. 12, issued a fresh warning urging residents and visitors to stay out of the Potomac River near Great Falls, where at least four people have drowned this summer.

The department posted a video message on X calling the river's conditions deceptively dangerous and noting that agencies have responded to multiple drowning incidents since June.

Four agencies are now coordinating the public safety campaign: Montgomery County Police, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, Maryland Natural Resources Police and U.S. Park Police. Officials urged visitors to remain on designated trails, obey posted warning signs and never enter the water to swim.

"No photo, shortcut, or swim is worth risking your life," the department said in its Aug. 12 statement.

The renewed alert comes 10 days after MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer confirmed four drownings in the river near Great Falls and Old Anglers Inn on Aug. 2. The dead include Nazir Bell, 20, a Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School graduate and rising Towson University senior from Germantown, recovered in June after a three-day search near Sandy Point and Billy Goat Trail. A 16-year-old boy was recovered in early July near Sandy Point, and a 25-year-old man was found July 30 near Spotzbergen Rock after he attempted to swim from the Virginia side to Maryland. His companion turned back and survived.

The stretch of river from Great Falls south to the D.C. line can reach depths of 50 feet, with powerful currents, submerged hazards and sudden drop-offs. Swimming there is illegal and carries a minimum $200 fine.

"This part of the river — from Great Falls down to the D.C. line — in what we call the gorge is extremely dangerous," MCFRS Assistant Chief Daniel Ogren told WUSA9 on July 30, after crews recovered the 25-year-old's body using sonar and below-surface cameras. "The current is very deceptive."

MCFRS has deployed its Swift Water Rescue Team every Saturday this summer to patrol the Great Falls area and monitor for unsafe behavior near the shoreline.

County Executive Marc Elrich in early July called the deaths tragic and urged residents to use the county's public pools instead. Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Earl Stoddard said at the time that the county was exploring clearer signage and additional restrictions in partnership with U.S. Park Police.

Residents who witness someone in distress on the Potomac River should call 911 immediately rather than attempt a rescue.