Evening star., 1962-05-31
Eagle Scout browns
In Potomac Rapids
5 Other Youths
Swim to Sufety
As Canoes Tip


drowned and five other scouts
swan to safety yesterday when
two canoes overturned in the
Potomac River rapids near
Chain Bridge.
Dragging operations contin-
ued today for the body of
Charles w. Pfiester. jr., of Sl1
Hillsboro drive, Silver Spring,
a 10th grade student at North
wood High School.
Two boys who shared a
canoe with young Pfiester told
police they never saw their
companion after the I7-foot
aluminium craft capSized in the
rough water at Little Falls.
John A. Tesch, Is, Of lllO1
Bybee street. Silver Spring, and
Jerry w. Koenig. is, of 5508
North Tenth street, Arlington,
said they swan to nearby rocks
and later made their way to
shore after the accident.
Three other Eagle Scouts.
whose wooden canoe had cap
sized in the same rapids only
seconds before, also scrambled
ashore.
They identified themselves
as Andre c. Simonpietri, 10,
OF 400 Nebraska avenue NV:
Timothy L. Donohoe, II, of
4520 Saul road, Kensington,
and Clayton L. Coston, l6, Of
AZ Boiling road, Alexandria.
Return From Picnic
All six boys were returning
by way of the river from a
Memorial Day picnic at Brook
mont, Md.
Earlier. the six youths had
padded their two canoes from
Georgetown up the Chesapeake
q Ohio Canal along with more
than two dozen other Eagle
Scouts. ALI but the group of
six scouts made the return trip
to Thirtieth and Thomas JEFF
ferson streets NV. by way Of
! the canal.
I, The other six boys, all men,
! bers OF the Knights of Duna-
E mis-. an honorary society for
Eagle Scouts, had permission
TO make the return trip from
the outing by way Of the river,
= according to their adviser.
: Sherrard c. Tupman Of $40
= Hamilton street NV.
I Mr.. Tupman told police he
! would not have given his per-
mission had he known the
rough condition OF the river
above Chain Bridge.
The lead canoe with young
Simonpietri, Donohoe and Cos
ton had reached the rapids 200
yards north of the bridge about
2 PM, when the boat turned
broadside and capsized, police
said.
Canoe Sweeps Past
AS the three youths made
their way to nearby rocks, the
second canoe swept past them.
When the boys in the second
canoe attempted to retrieve the
first boat, they also turned
broadside and cspsized, police
said.
All six boys were using life
preserver cushions for knee
pads when the two canoes went
over, police said. Several Of
the boys said they used the
cushions and oars to help in
swimming ashore.
Hundreds of holiday sight
seers gathered in the area to
watch members Of the Harbor
police precinct and the Be-
thesda Chevy Chase Rescue
Squad recover the two canoes
and drag for young Pfiester's
body. The search, was halted
by darkness.
Harbor Police Capt. John o.
Hite said the water in which
the two canoes capsized is con-
sidered extremely dangerous.
even by veteran river men"
Police said the swift current
makes the narrow passage
through the jagged rocks "a
real tricky maneuver."
Young Pfiester, the son of a
retired Navy commander. was
a member Of Boy Scout Troop
456 Of Wheaton. He had
achieved the rank Of Eagle
Scout last month and was
initiated into Washington's
Presidential Chapter II of the
Knights Of Dunamis last Sum-
day. ....
He leaves his parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Charles w. Pfiester,
ST., four brothers and a sister,
all Of the home address.