On Friday night, the United States Coast Guard has suspended its rescue mission to Maeve Kennedy McKean and her 8 year old son Gideon. The search had continued for 26 hours after the two were reported to be missing in Chesapeake Bay, MD. The two were last seen late Thursday.
Commander Matthew Fine, who in charge of suspending active rescue missions, shared the difficulty and solemnity of ending the mission. He said that all his men and women tried their best, yet have exhausted all remaining options.
McKean’s mother and and former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Kathleen Kennedy Townsend confirmed that the mission has been changed to a recovery mission.point 255 |
In her statement, Townsend said that “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”.point 187 | 1
McKean is the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, US Attorney General under his brother John F. Kennedy and US Senator from New York. She practices law as a profession, specializing in human rights and public health. She had volunteered as a member of the Peace Corps efforts in Mozambique, and advised the Obama administration of the global AIDS pandemic.
David McKean, husband of Maeve and father of Gideon, described the situation with the Washington Post.point 209 |
The McKeans were visiting Townsend’s home by the river over the weekend.point 67 | While they were playing, the kids kicked the ball into the river.point 121 | Maeve and Gideon got on a canoe to retrieve the ball when things spiraled out of their control.point 199 | 1
It was 4:30pm on Thursday when the Coast Guard received a report of two people trying desperately to get back to the shore in a canoe. Maryland’s governor Larry Hogan confirmed that an extensive search has been taking place since Friday.
Since the assassination of JFK, the Kennedy family has already gone through many tragedies. McKean’s grandfather RFK was assassinated in 1968. John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife were killed in a fatal plane crash in 1999.
David Kennedy died as a result of drug overdose in 1984. It is known that his addiction began after he watched his father, RFK, get assassinated on live television.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all the McKeans and their family. Share with us your thoughts in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook to keep your self updated.
Replaced!