Maeve is the granddaughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the grandniece of former US President John F. Kennedy. She also happens to be the daughter of former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.
"A former Maryland lieutenant governor's daughter, Maeve, and her 8-year-old grandson, Gideon, went missing after canoeing yesterday afternoon," Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said during a Friday news conference. “An intensive search has been underway since late yesterday."
The two were reported missing on Thursday by Maeve’s husband, David McKean, who called on local law enforcement officials after the two went to fetch a ball that was kicked into the water by children playing in their yard, the Washington Post reported.
A canoe matching the description of the one the boaters used in their search was found miles from where they were last seen in the Chesapeake Bay by a concerned eyewitness who notified the fire department about the boaters.
A spokesperson for the US Coast Guard said that waves in the Chesapeake were around 2 or 3 feet high on Thursday afternoon. The pair is believed to have been blown away from shore by strong winds based on details made known by the eyewitness.
The Kennedy family on Friday also issued a statement through spokesperson Alan Fleischmann. “At this time, our family asks for privacy and that everyone keep Maeve and Gideon in their prayers,” the statement reads.
The investigation regarding the boaters is currently ongoing. The search is being conducted by the Maryland Natural Resources Police, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department and the US Coast Guard.
