Body of Robert F. Kennedy's great-grandson, 8, found after canoe accident
Authorities in Maryland found the body of 8-year-old Gideon McKean on Wednesday, nearly a week after the boy and his mother disappeared during a canoeing accident in the Chesapeake Bay.
In a statement, Maryland Natural Resources Police said the boy’s body was found at 1:40 p.m. in 25 feet of water.
He was roughly 2,000 feet from his mother, Maeve Kennedy McKean, 40. Her body was recovered Monday.
McKean is the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy. Her mother, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, is a former lieutenant governor of Maryland and niece of the late Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
The mother and son went missing Thursday after trying to retrieve a ball in the waters near the family’s home in Anne Arundel County, authorities said. Strong winds and heavy seas prevented them from paddling back to shore.
Their overturned canoe was later found near a creek a few miles away.
In a statement, Townsend recalled her daughter as “vivid,” with a laugh that was “loud, unabashed and infectious.” McKean was the executive director of the Georgetown University Global Health Initiative
Gideon, Townsend said, was a star athlete who loved soccer, golf and running.
