Nazir Bell, a 20-year-old Towson University student who disappeared while swimming in Maryland’s Potomac River near the Billy Goat Trail and Sandy Landing area, was found dead Tuesday, June 16, after nearly two days of searching that shifted from rescue to rec
When Nazir Bell failed to resurface after calling for help while swimming near the Billy Goat Trail and Sandy Landing area along the Potomac River. the weekend search turned into a race against murkier. deeper conditions. On Tuesday. June 16. that search ended with a grim discovery: local crews recovered Bell’s body after nearly two days of efforts.
Pete Piringer, spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, said crews recovered the body of Nazir Bell, 20, on Tuesday, June 16, days after he failed to resurface while swimming with friends in the Potomac River.
Bell had been reported missing Sunday evening, according to Piringer. Witnesses told responders that Bell called for help before disappearing beneath the water.
The timeline shifted once authorities moved from hope to recovery. The search for Bell shifted from a rescue operation to a recovery effort after the college student was presumed dead on Monday, June 15.
More than 40 first responders from Maryland and Virginia joined the operation, which spread across air, land, and water. Multiple swift-water rescue teams, boats, and shoreline search crews were deployed along the river. The U.S. Park Police supported the search with aerial surveillance using its Eagle 1 helicopter. while teams relied on sonar and thermal imaging equipment to help locate Bell.
Officials said poor visibility and murky water complicated the operation. In those conditions, the river’s surface offered little warning about what was underneath.
While crews worked, Bell’s family remained nearby, awaiting updates from rescue teams, Piringer said. By Sunday night into Monday, the wait turned into a long stretch of uncertainty—until officials confirmed the outcome Tuesday.
Bell’s loved ones remembered him as someone who brought light wherever he went. His mother. Shante Smith. described him to NBC 4 Washington as “a beautiful soul. ” saying he was “gentle. sweet and kind” and that he “would do anything for anybody.” His father. Jamal Smith. called Bell “a great son” and said Bell was excelling academically at Towson University. where he studied economics.
Family members said Bell loved reading, fashion, and learning languages. His cousin, Jasmine Mitchell, said Bell began speaking Spanish at a young age and was exceptionally intelligent.
Towson University also mourned the loss. In a statement to CBS Baltimore, the university said its community was “heartbroken” by Bell’s death, adding: “We join his family, friends, and loved ones in mourning his tragic passing.”
As the case moves from search-and-recovery into mourning, authorities are urging caution around the Potomac River. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service reminded the public that swimming is prohibited in portions of the Potomac River near Great Falls.
Officials emphasized that the river can appear calm while still carrying powerful currents, rapidly changing conditions, and depths up to 30 feet—factors that can create dangerous conditions for swimmers even when the water looks inviting.
The recovery of Nazir Bell brings an end to the weekend’s unanswered calls and searches, but it leaves behind the same question many families face after a sudden tragedy: how quickly a day at the river can turn into something irreversible.
Potomac River search Nazir Bell Towson University Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Billy Goat Trail Sandy Landing swift-water rescue Eagle 1 helicopter sonar thermal imaging Great Falls swimming prohibited