Columbia Island

Boats burn in Columbia Island blaze

By ARLnow.com
Boats on fire at Columbia Island Marina (photo courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS)

It was a dreadful sight for boaters looking forward to a Memorial Day on the water.

Early Sunday morning, a significant blaze broke out at Columbia Island Marina, between the GW Parkway and the Pentagon, prompting a large fire department response from Arlington and D.C., including D.C. fireboats.

At least three boats and some of the marina’s dock were damaged, according to D.C. Fire and EMS. The flames could be seen from a distance.

Despite the intensity of the fire at times, fed by the boats’ fuel tanks, no injuries were reported.

BREAKING: Man in Critical Condition After Being Rescued from Submerged Car

By ARLnow.com
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A man is in critical condition after being rescued from a submerged car at the Columbia Island Marina.

Rescue personnel from Arlington, D.C. and Reagan National Airport were dispatched to the marina at 9 a.m. for a report of a vehicle in the water. Within minutes they rescued the man through the car window, treated him on the scene and rushed him to George Washington University Hospital, said an Arlington fire department spokeswoman.

The submerged vehicle was located near the marina’s boat ramp. There’s no word yet how it ended up in the water.

Divers searched but did not find any other victims. They were aided in the search by the D.C. fire boat and the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter.

Rescue personnel are currently working to remove the car from the water.

One firefighter suffered an injury during the rescue operation and was treated on scene by medics. Access to the marina’s parking lot has been restricted due to the emergency response.

Update at 10:25 a.m. — The vehicle has been removed from the water, per scanner traffic.

Update at 5:35 p.m. — The man who was pulled from the submerged car has died, WTOP is reporting. It is still unclear as to how the car wound up in the water.

Photos courtesy @ArlingtonVaFD

TV Station Stakes Out LBJ Grove ‘Cruising’ Spot

By ARLnow.com

Men are cruising for sex at Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove, and TV station WJLA (ABC 7) apparently has the video to prove it.

The TV station secretly staked out the national park, located between the Pentagon and the GW Parkway, near the Columbia Island marina. They found men continuously driving around the parking lot and going in and out of a public restroom.

Asked about the illicit activity and the lack of enforcement, a U.S. Park Police spokesman would only say that “it goes on everywhere… it’s a problem everywhere.”

LBJ Memorial Grove isn’t the only cruising spot around Arlington where men are looking for casual sexual encounters. As reported last summer, the third-floor bathroom at the Pentagon City Macy’s and the bathroom at Arlington Public Library are mentioned on cruising websites.

Other public cruising spots mentioned online include:

  • Ballston Common Mall (third floor bathroom)
  • Bluemont Park (tennis pavilion bathroom)
  • Chain Bridge (woods near parking lot)
  • Rosslyn Metro Mall (second floor bathroom near food court)
  • Marymount University (basement bathroom in library)
  • Thomas Jefferson Middle School (jogging trail, at night)

Amphibious Vehicle Demoed at Columbia Island Marina

By ARLnow.com

A company showed off the prototype of their new American-made amphibious vehicle at Columbia Island Marina this afternoon.

Michigan-based Gibbs Amphibians held the demonstration in the shadow of the Pentagon in hopes of convincing the military to place orders for their newest land/sea vehicle, dubbed the Phibian.

Company engineers say the Phibian is revolutionary for being able to travel at a high speed on land and on sea. The vehicle can reach up to 80 miles per hour on land, 45 miles per hour on the water, and can enter the water from land at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour, we’re told. The 30-foot craft has a 7,000 lbs hauling capacity and can transport about a dozen people.

Phibian sports a carbon fiber hull, twin turbo 250 horsepower diesel engines, four wheel drive, and a patented, hydraulic suspension system that retracts the wheels above the water level when at sea (somewhat like landing gear on a plane). It’s the retractable wheels that allow better speed and maneuverability in the water, engineers said.

The Phibian will be produced in Michigan and will create 200 jobs, according to Gibbs. The company hopes to sell the Phibian to the military and to various federal and local government agencies for search and rescue and disaster relief operations.

Gibbs also manufacturers an amphibious sports car, which was on display today at the marina.

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