Kennedy Granddaughter & Her 8-Year-Old Son Are Presumed Dead After Canoeing Accident

Maeve Kennedy McKean and her eight-year-old son Gideon are presumed dead after they went missing in a canoeing accident.

The 40-year-old granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy went missing on Thursday (April 2) while canoeing in the Chesapeake Bay.

Maeve‘s mom, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, shared the devastating news in a statement issued on Friday night.

“With profound sadness, I share the news that the search for my beloved daughter Maeve and grandson Gideon has turned from rescue to recovery,” Townsend said in the statement. “Maeve was vivid. You always knew when she was in a room. Her laughter was loud, unabashed and infectious. She did everything with her full self and her whole heart.”

It has been reported that Maeve and Gideon may have paddled from a residence “into the bay to retrieve a ball and were unable to paddle back to shore.”

We’re sending our thoughts and condolences to the McKean family and their loved ones during this difficult time.