By Anne Stom
On January 30, 2025, an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter collided over the Potomac River near National Airport. Facing difficult conditions, strong currents, freezing temperature and an evolving debris field, the DC Harbour Patrol leapt into action enlisting the help of one of the nearby cruise ships and sending teams of trained police divers to the scene in an attempt to retrieve victims from the river. Sadly, there were no survivors.
Most of us who live in Southwest have seen the building along the channel at 550 Water St SW, housing the Harbor Patrol, but few of us know much about its history and their regular activities on the water. In 1861 the Harbor Patrol started with only one person. It was the first specialized force for DC police and has operated continually ever since. In the 1880s it grew to 14 officers under the command of Lieutenant J. R. Sutton, the first Harbor Master. An extract from patrol archives reads, “the Harbor police are a terror to the wharf rats, (not a rodent but rather a person who loiters around docks with the intent to steal) and river thieves who ply their vocation on the river front. They also patrol the wharves to promptly discover fires thereby preventing disastrous conflagrations.” While the law enforcement mission remains the same, the Patrol’s duties have greatly expanded.
Today there are 20 officers and sergeants with a fleet of approximately 20 vessels ranging from jet skis to airboats. All officers and sergeants of the Harbor Patrol are Public Safety Divers and are always prepared to dive in the District’s waterways to search, rescue, and recover at depths ranging from 6 feet up to 40 feet. Harbor Patrol officers are also certified in air/sea rescue, ice rescue, accident reconstruction, marine mechanics, and boating safety instruction.
The Harbor Patrol polices the rivers, inlets, and waterways primarily the Anacostia, Washington Channel, and the Potomac. They handle incidents like overturned boats, vehicles/individuals in the water, and situations involving suicidal individuals on bridges over waterways and also ensure that marinas and other waterfront areas are safe and secure. They provide assistance in water-related incidents, including marine accidents and rescue operations. They also have a four-lesson basic boating safety course that is given free of charge to the public. https://mpdc.dc.gov/page/boating-safety
Stay tuned for interviews with the DC Harbor Patrol Officers next month.
On the Water, a semi-regular column, will explore items of interest on both the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.