The disappearance of 40-year-old Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean and her eight-year-old son Gideon, lead to a search and rescue operation after their canoe drifted into the waters of Chesapeake Bay. Crews on boats and in helicopters have all been engaged in the search.
The Kennedy family is not giving up hope that the mother and son will be found. The search crew are hard at work trying to find them.
What the family was up to before the disappearance
David McKean last saw his wife and son playing kickball in the backyard, the home is owned by former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. While playing, the ball was kicked into the cove. David said that the cove's winds was calmer than the bay.
One of them kicked the ball accidentally while playing. Hence, both mother and son got into the canoe to retrieve the ball, but either the wind or current pushed them far.
So far, the Coast Guard has already searched and covered about 2.275 square miles, but did not find anything.
Memories of his wife and son
Gideon was 8-years old and he was compassionate. In fact, he expressed dislike to children's songs that had a hint of cruelty. He also hates hearing bad words from anyone especially from his father.
Meanwhile, Maeve, who just turned 40 last November, was everything important to David. He said that she is his best friend and a soul mate.
Governer Larry Hogan addressed the search for the Kennedy kin on Friday, and said that the people of Maryland were expressing sympathies, and prayers in this trying time. The governor had a talk with former lieutenant governor Townsend Friday afternoon.
Extent of the search assets
Those involved in the search are crews from Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter, Coast Guard Station Annapolis 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, an Air Station Elizabeth City C-130 Hercules, and a Coast Guard Station Inigoes.
Matthew Fine, a Coast Guard commander, told WJZ that 19 vessels and five planes are used for the operation. The team is searching a total of 2,700 square miles of water for signs of life or worse, bodies of the mother and son pair.
Search and rescue for mother and son
The Maryland DNR officials set the time of the disappearance at about 4:49 PM in the vicinity of Herring Bay in Shady Side. An official version according to officials, did corroborate with what David said when they tried to retrieve a ball, but failed to get back to shore.
There are claims from civilians who caught glimpses of two people in the bay. They said that the ones on the boat were trying hard to return. However, they are not seen again by anyone. At 7:00 PM, rescuers found a drifted overturned canoe and paddle.
The search for Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean and her eight-year-old son Gideon is not yet done. There is still a chance that they might be alive, if there are no bodies found.
