UPDATE: 3 Bodies Found By Police In DC Waters

Update (Aug. 4, 2:25 p.m.): The Harbor Patrol Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department recovered three bodies Monday night from the waters surrounding the D.C. area, according to a post on MPD's Twitter account. MPD is working to determine the identities of the persons recovered in order to notify their families. Police have not said whether the bodies are of the three individuals reported missing Sunday from a boat on the Potomac River.

WASHINGTON, DC — Investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department are still searching for three men who went missing off of a boat on the Potomac River Sunday evening.

D.C. Fire and EMS responded around 5:37 p.m., to a distress signal on its VHF channel for the report of a vessel needing assistance on the Potomac River in the vicinity of the Capital Cove Marina, according to Vito D.C. Fire & EMS Public Information Officer Vito Maggiolo.

"When we located the vessel, those on board indicated that three people had gotten into the water and had not resurfaced, and also indicated that these individuals, three adult males, were not wearing personal flotation devices," he said.

D.C. Fire & EMS, along with MPD's Harbor Division, immediately began a search and rescue operation. D.C. Fire & EMS' two fire boats and inflatables launched from land assisted in the search. In addition, resources from numerous other agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Park Police, Prince George's County Fire& EMS, the City of Alexandria Fire Department, and the Metropolitan Airports Authority's Fire Department, helped in the search in the water, along the shore, and in the air, according to Maggiolo.

"The search went on for approximately three hours," he said. "At that point, our incident commander declared it to become a recovery operation, rather than a rescue operation."

At that point, most of the assets departed, while others continued to search until about 11 p.m.

Overnight, MPD released three critical missing person advisories, identifying the three men as follows:

• Omid Rabani, 23, is described as an Afghan male with a medium complexion. He stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 150 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
• Ahmad "Johnny" Noory, 28, is described as an Afghan male with a medium complexion. He stands 6-foot-5, and weighs 220 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black shorts and no shirt or shoes.
• Mustafa Haider, 26, is described as an Afghan male, with medium complexion. He stands 6-foot-4 in height and weighs 205 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black jeans, and no shirt or shoes.

An MPD spokeswoman said that the police department received a notice of three individuals who had gone missing from a boat on the Potomac River following a "passing hazardous weather situation." Responding to the call, MPD began canvassing the area.

"We are still interviewing witnesses and this case is still under active investigation to determine the exact order of events in which they occurred," the spokesman said.

MPD is still searching for the missing individuals on the water and land. Anyone with information about the location of these three missing persons is asked to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

Photos by fire photographer Elliot Goodman @DCFIREBYE show #DCsBravest search and rescue K-9, inflatable manned by rescue squad members, and command post at the Potomac River water rescue incident. Mandatory courtesy Elliot Goodman if used. pic.twitter.com/DgJZQNYtEx
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) August 3, 2020