‘Rest In Peace Maeve and Gideon’: RFK Jr. pays tribute to his niece and her eight-year-old son who went missing while kayaking in Chesapeake Bay – as search ‘turns from rescue to recovery’

• Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, 40, and her son Gideon Joseph Kennedy McKean were last seen paddling in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay on Thursday
• McKean’s mother, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, is the eldest daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy 
•  Townsend said in a statement on Friday: ‘The search for my beloved daughter Maeve and grandson Gideon has turned from rescue to recovery’
• The search was called off on Friday night, but will resume Saturday morning
• The pair had paddled out in a canoe in search of a ball but got caught up in strong winds
• An overturned canoe matching the one used by the mother and son was found later on Thursday night  

Rescue operations have been called off in the search for Robert F. Kennedy’s granddaughter and her eight-year-old son, with the pair feared dead after they took a canoe out on a Maryland bay to retrieve a lost ball on Thursday.

Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, 40, and her son Gideon Joseph Kennedy McKean, failed to return to shore after paddling in the Chesapeake Bay on Thursday.

The Coast Guard ended rescue operations on Friday night, but a search will continue in the hope of recovering their bodies. An overturned canoe matching the one used by the mother and son was found on Thursday night.

McKean’s mother, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, is the eldest daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy and niece of the late President John F. Kennedy.

Kathleen’s brother, Robert F Kennedy Jr, posted on Instagram: ‘Tonight, the Coast Guard informed our family that It has terminated rescue operations. The search for remains continues. Rest In Peace Maeve and Gideon.’

Kathleen herself said in a statement 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’.

Coast Guard sector commander Matthew Fine told CNN: ‘This was a difficult case, and even more difficult to make the decision to suspend the search.

‘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 search had started on Thursday afternoon after authorities responded to a report of two people on a canoe in the Chesapeake Bay who appeared to be overtaken by strong winds.

Authorities said the pair, who they didn’t name, were paddling the canoe from their home in Shady Side to retrieve a ball but couldn’t paddle back to shore.

Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan addressed the pair’s disappearance during a coronavirus briefing on Friday, during which he offered sympathies to the family.

‘I reached out to and spoke with Lt. Gov. Townsend this morning and on behalf of the people of Maryland I expressed our most heartfelt sympathies and prayers to her and to her entire family during this difficult time,’ Gov Hogan said.

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