Arlington County firefighters and the U.S. Park Police helicopter helped rescue a man suffering an apparent medical emergency along the Potomac River Sunday evening.
The rescue happened around 6 p.m., on the rocks below 44th Street N. A portion of Chain Bridge Road was temporarily closed during the emergency response, which involved firefighters repelling down to the patient, who was ultimately hoisted onto the helicopter.
“A bystander called 911 to report what appears to be an adult male lying near the water’s edge,” Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Justin Tirelli tells ARLnow. An “ACFD technical rescue team made their way to the patient and rendered medical care to a 40 year old male who suffered an apparent medical emergency. [The] helicopter was used because the terrain made it very difficult to lift the patient manually.”
The man was reported by rescuers to be in stable condition.
Several boats, including a D.C. Police boat, also responded to the scene. A video of the rescue is below and more photos can be found here.