RFK's Granddaughter Maeve Kennedy McKean & Her Son Are Missing After Canoeing Accident

Maeve Kennedy McKean, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, and her eight-year-old son Gideon are missing after a canoeing accident on Thursday night (April 2) in Maryland.

The mother and son were last seen while drifting several miles off shore near Chesapeake Bay. A concerned citizen called 911 when they saw two people drifting in a small canoe.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police said in a statement that a “preliminary investigation revealed that the pair may have been paddling the canoe from a residence in Shady Side, MD out into the bay to retrieve a ball and were unable to paddle back to shore.”

Fire dispatch arrived within five minutes of the call, but they were unable to reach the canoe. “Currents were pretty fast, they moved out of sight pretty quickly,” the fire captain said. Two hours after the search began, a canoe and a paddle were found several miles from where the pair were last spotted.

“At approximately 7:00 p.m., an overturned canoe, matching the approximate description of the one which the pair were in, was located,” the Natural Resources Police said. The search was called off at 7:30 p.m. due to darkness.

A family spokesperson has said, “At this time our family asks for privacy and that everyone keep Maeve and Gideon in their prayers.”