WASHINGTON — Rescue squads in D.C. are looking for three men that went missing late Sunday afternoon around 5:30 p.m. while on a boat in the river, D.C. police said.
Coast Guard Sector Maryland-NCR, D.C. emergency crews, and partnering agencies have been looking for the boaters near the area of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) since Sunday afternoon. They were last seen in 2800 block of Robbins Road Southwest, police said.
The Coast Guard Sector Maryland-NCR are continuing the search and investigation on Monday. The Coast Guard has used both aviation and surface units to look along the Potomac River and Washington Channel from JBAB to South Capitol Street, officials said.
The boaters were swimming from a recreational boat when a squall came through the area and the individuals on the vessel lost sight of the swimmers, Coast Guard officials said. When the weather cleared, the individuals on the vessel were unable to find the swimmers and called the authorities.
The men fell from a boat into the river and did not resurface, D.C. police say. They were not wearing lifejackets.
Police have identified the missing men as 26-year-old Mustafa Haidar, 28-year-old Ahmad “Johnny” Noory and 23-year-old Omid Rabani.
Haidar is described as an Afghan male, with a medium complexion and black hair and brown eyes, police said. He is 6’4” tall and weighs about 205 pounds. He was last seen wearing black jeans with no shirt or shoes.
Police said Noory is described as an Afghan male, with a medium complexion and black hair and brown eyes. He's 6’5 and about 220 pounds. He was last seen also wearing black shorts with no shirt or shoes.
And Rabani is described as an Afghan male, with a medium complexion and black hair and brown eyes. He's 5’11 and weighs about 150 pounds, police said. It is unknown what Rabani was wearing at the time of his disappearance.
Coast Guard Sector Maryland-NCR plans to contact next of kin of the missing boaters.
"As we continue or search efforts, our thoughts are with the families and friends of the missing,” Coast Guard officials said.