The granddaughter of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and her son are presumed dead after a search of Chesapeake Bay failed to find them.
A Coast Guard search for Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, 40, and Gideon McKean, 8, that began on Thursday “has turned from rescue to recovery,” according to a Friday statement, Fox News reported.
McKean and her son were last seen in a canoe struggling to return to shore.
The family had been gathering Thursday at a home owned by Maeve McKean’s mother, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who’s the daughter of Robert Kenndy and a former lieutenant governor of Maryland.
Maeve’s husband, David McKean, offered an explanation for the tragedy on his Facebook page.
“We were self-quarantining in an empty house owned by Maeve’s mother Kathleen on the Chesapeake Bay, hoping to give our kids more space than we have at home in DC to run around,” he said. “Gideon and Maeve were playing kickball by the small, shallow cove behind the house, and one of them kicked the ball into the water. The cove is protected, with much calmer wind and water than in the greater Chesapeake.
Trump threatens to double tariffs on Mexico if migrant caravans not stopped
Peltola campaign loses in court on rejected absentee ballots as she maintains narrow lead
‘China is not our enemy’: Inside the DSA’s foreign travel now in Florida’s crosshairs
Florida city says new GOP-backed DEI law blocks St. Patrick’s parade, Pride event
GOP senator says Republicans can ‘forget 2028’ as party looks to reclaim Upper Chamber
DNA Links Grizzly Bear Mom and Her Cubs to Fatal Mother-Daughter Mauling – All 4 Bears Hunted Down and Killed
Cape-Wearing Leftist Arrested at Texas University for Allegedly Striking 3 with Cane at TPUSA Event
Suspected DUI driver arrested on 3 murder counts after deadly North Hollywood crash, police say
Twice-deported United cockpit suspect granted asylum after transgender persecution claim: DHS
As Ilhan Omar Gloats Over Islamic Wins, Idaho Muslim Sentenced for Plot to Massacre Christians with Explosives, Knives, Firearms
Illegal immigrant arrested after dragging, striking ICE officer in Chicago suburb: DHS
Jeffries leaves door open to investigating major Trump ally as Democrats prepare to take power
ESPN’s Rex Ryan Jailed, Accused of Hitting 2 with His Truck and Fleeing the Scene
Hakeem Jeffries faces progressive holdouts but no rival as House speaker race takes shape
Watch: Tentacled UFO Caught on Wild Viral Video and Reported Near Military, But the Possible Truth May Disappoint
“They got into a canoe, intending simply to retrieve the ball, and somehow got pushed by wind or tide into the open bay,” he wrote.
“About 30 minutes later they were spotted by an onlooker from land, who saw them far out from shore, and called the police. After that last sighting, they were not seen again. The Coast Guard recovered their canoe, which was capsized and miles away, at approximately 6:30 yesterday evening,” David McKean added.
“This was a difficult case, and even more difficult to make the decision to suspend the search,” Coast Guard Cmdr. Matthew Fine said, according to CNN.
Trump threatens to double tariffs on Mexico if migrant caravans not stopped
Peltola campaign loses in court on rejected absentee ballots as she maintains narrow lead
‘China is not our enemy’: Inside the DSA’s foreign travel now in Florida’s crosshairs
Florida city says new GOP-backed DEI law blocks St. Patrick’s parade, Pride event
GOP senator says Republicans can ‘forget 2028’ as party looks to reclaim Upper Chamber
DNA Links Grizzly Bear Mom and Her Cubs to Fatal Mother-Daughter Mauling – All 4 Bears Hunted Down and Killed
Cape-Wearing Leftist Arrested at Texas University for Allegedly Striking 3 with Cane at TPUSA Event
Suspected DUI driver arrested on 3 murder counts after deadly North Hollywood crash, police say
Twice-deported United cockpit suspect granted asylum after transgender persecution claim: DHS
As Ilhan Omar Gloats Over Islamic Wins, Idaho Muslim Sentenced for Plot to Massacre Christians with Explosives, Knives, Firearms
Illegal immigrant arrested after dragging, striking ICE officer in Chicago suburb: DHS
Jeffries leaves door open to investigating major Trump ally as Democrats prepare to take power
ESPN’s Rex Ryan Jailed, Accused of Hitting 2 with His Truck and Fleeing the Scene
Hakeem Jeffries faces progressive holdouts but no rival as House speaker race takes shape
Watch: Tentacled UFO Caught on Wild Viral Video and Reported Near Military, But the Possible Truth May Disappoint
“Our crews and partners did everything they could to find them. We’ve kept the family informed at every step during the search, and our thoughts are with them tonight.”
The Coast Guard said the wind in Herring Bay, an offshoot of the larger bay, was at 26 knots, or roughly 30 mph, when Maeve McKean and her son entered the water.
Waves were between two and three feet high at the time.
The Coast Guard began its search Thursday and by Friday afternoon had covered 2,275 square miles, according to The Washington Post.
Townsend announced the loss of McKean and her son “with profound sadness.”
“Our Maeve devoted her life to helping society’s most vulnerable,” she said in a statement. “She was a Peace Corps volunteer who pursued a career in law to give voice to the voiceless.”
“My heart is crushed, yet we shall try to summon the grace of God and what strength we have to honor the hope, energy and passion that Maeve and Gideon set forth into the world,” she also said.
McKean served as the executive director of Georgetown University’s Global Health Initiative. She was an adjunct professor at the university, teaching bioethics and human rights.
Summing up his son on Facebook, David McKean wrote, “I used to marvel at him as a toddler and worry that he was too perfect to exist in this world. It seems to me now that he was.”
In writing about his wife, he said she “was my everything. She was my best friend and my soulmate.”
“She was the brightest light I have ever known,” he wrote.
Story cited here.
