A missing jet skier was found with the help of his cell phone.
The man was reported missing Saturday night, and fire and rescue crews from Fairfax and Prince William counties and Charles County, Md. were dispatched to look for him.
The jet skier was spotted about 7 p.m. headed south on the Occoquan River. Searchers were scouring the Potomac River, as the missing man was said to be anywhere from Alexandria to Dumfries, said OWL VFD spokeswoman Rebecca Barnes.
OWL VFD dispatched one of their boats to assist in the search about 9:30 p.m. to help other boats from the U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland Natural Resources division who were already on the case. That’s when they decided to ping the man’s cell phone to try and find him.
“At approximately 9:50 p.m. a request was made to perform a “ping” of the persons cell phone. This process can take 30 or more minutes to complete the required paperwork and approval process before the information is returned,” stated Barnes in a press release “Within 10 minutes of the data being returned and relayed, OWL Fireboat 502 spotted the missing jet ski in the vicinity of the “ping”. A few seconds later, Fairfax Police helicopter spotted the missing person in the water a short distance away.”
Crews returned the jet skier to a marina unharmed. Barnes did not know what led to the man’s disappearance.
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