Loved ones mourn boater who died after falling into water at District Yacht Club

Friends, family and members of the D.C. boating community are mourning the loss of one of their own.

Loved ones say Tracy Simpson fell off of his boat and into the Anacostia River Monday evening and never resurfaced. He was 62 years old.

“He enjoyed being down here, being on the water,” said Tyrone Tolson, a friend of Simpson’s. “And as long as he was here, I guess that was his happy place.”

Less than 24 hours after his tragic death, his good friend and dock mate, James Holley, showed News4 where the two of them spent most of the last decade at the District Yacht Club.

“He’s always on my boat or I’m always on his boat because we were always here,” Holley said. “We were avid boaters. When people are not here in the winter, we’re here in the winter.”

Loved ones described Simpson as a devoted father and grandfather known for his generous spirit and eagerness to lend a hand on and off the water.

“He’s one of the first people that I met when I first started boating, and he gave me a lot of pointers,” said Simpson’s friend, Cindy Pearson. “He taught me a lot of ins and outs of boating.”

Family members said the certified captain was born and raised in Prince George’s County and was an army veteran who spent the last 30 plus years doing what he loved. They also said he was one of the first Black captains to do charters along the Anacostia River.

“He loved the water and he loved his family,” Holley said.

Friends described Simpson as a fixture in the boating community, a familiar face at many marinas, mentor and the life of the party.

“Tracy was such a big personality and such a big spirit and just so much fun,” Pearson said. “He was very creative in how he did his charters, and he was also a chef so we always had good food whenever Tracy was around.”

There is still no word on what caused Simpson to go overboard, and while they wait for more answers, friends say they will do everything they can to keep his memory alive.

“Pray for the family and God give them strength,” Tolson said. “He will definitely be missed.”