Two members of Kennedy family missing, presumed dead after US canoe trip

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s daughter and eight-year-old grandson disappeared on Thursday

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David McKean, Maeve Kennedy Townsend Mckean and their children (son Gideon 2R). Photo: AFP

Published: 6:24am, 4 Apr 2020Updated: 1:40pm, 4 Apr 2020

Two members of the Kennedy US political dynasty, including a grandniece of assassinated president John F Kennedy, are presumed to have died after they went canoeing.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s daughter and eight-year-old grandson disappeared on Thursday after boating on the South River in Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan told reporters.

An intensive search that has been under way since Thursday turned from “rescue to recovery” on Friday night, Kennedy Townsend said in a statement.

“With profound sadness, I share the news that the search for my beloved daughter Maeve and grandson Gideon has turned from rescue to recovery,” she said, according to news outlets.

This undated image posted on Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean's Facebook account shows her with her family, including her son Gideon Joseph Kennedy McKean, bottom right. Photo: Twitter via AP

A Maryland Natural Resources Police spokeswoman said authorities suspended the search on Friday night but would resume on Saturday morning.

The state’s Natural Resources Police responded on Thursday afternoon to a report of two people on a canoe in the Chesapeake Bay who appeared to be overtaken by strong winds.