Accident Database

Report ID#69358

2009-05-21
accident date
James Hughes
victim
54
victim age
Potomac River
river
Great Falls??
section
n/a
location
n/a
gage
Medium
water level
V
river difficulty
Unknown
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
Solo Paddling
factors
Private
trip type
Whitewater Kayak
boat type
status?
status

Description

Body Recovered From Potomac Is Identified A Fairfax County man who disappeared from his Vienna home last week was identified by police yesterday as the person whose body was found in the Potomac River on Saturday morning. James D. Hughes, 54, was last seen May 10, driving his 2005 silver Volvo sport-utility vehicle with a green kayak on the roof. His vehicle was found the next day in Algonkian Regional Park, above Great Falls in Loudoun County, but Hughes and the kayak were gone. Hughes may have been distraught over personal financial matters, Fairfax police said. His body was found shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday near Fletcher’s Boat House in the District. The D.C. medical examiner’s office positively identified him yesterday, but did not determine a cause or manner of death. A suicide note was found