A hiker's 911 call about an overturned canoe in the Potomac River near Vaso Island triggered a major swift-water rescue response Tuesday, Aug. 18, but fire officials determined no one was in danger.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said the hiker on Billy Goat Trail C spotted the canoe in an unusual position near the island, which sits in the river toward the Virginia side. The caller acted in good faith, Piringer said on X, but investigators found the vessel had simply been abandoned.

MCFRS dispatched at least 10 units to the scene, including four swift-water boats and an engine, a pumper, a battalion chief and other apparatus. WJLA reported the same outcome: no one injured or missing.

The response came just four days after multiple police departments and MCFRS released a joint public service announcement on Aug. 14 warning people to stay out of the Potomac River, especially near Great Falls, citing strong currents and hidden dangers tied to several drownings this summer.

According to Bethesda Magazine, three people have drowned in the Potomac in the past four months. A 20-year-old Towson University student and a 16-year-old boy died in separate incidents earlier in the summer, and a man in his 20s went missing near Sandy Landing on July 28; his body was recovered July 30. As we reported that day, MCFRS used sonar and a submersible drone in that search.

"Swimming is prohibited in those areas for good reason," Piringer told Bethesda Magazine on July 28, during the Sandy Landing search. "It doesn't matter where you go; the currents are always a challenge. They're more dangerous and stronger down near the Great Falls."

Billy Goat Trail C runs along the Potomac near the Carderock area, adjacent to the C&O Canal National Historical Park. The trail and surrounding river corridor remain open, but officials continue urging hikers and visitors to stay out of the water. The joint safety video from police and MCFRS remains available online.

No further MCFRS action is expected from Tuesday's incident.