In a lengthy statement, Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean's husband David is convinced that the chances the mother and son have survived are 'impossibly small.'
- Apr 4, 2020
AceShowbiz - The search for Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean and her 8-year-old son, Gideon, has been suspended and turned from rescue to recovery. Her husband, David McKean, confirmed the sad news in a statement, presuming that his two beloved family members have passed away after a canoe accident.
In his lengthy statement, David revealed that the Coast Guard and local authorities had been putting in all their efforts to find Maeve and Gideon more than a day to no avail. Thus, he's now convinced that the "the chances they have survived are impossibly small. It is clear that Maeve and Gideon have passed away." David added, "The search for their recovery will continue, and I hope that that will be successful."
Maeve and Gideon were reported missing after trying to retrieve a ball that got kicked into Chesapeake Bay. According to reports, they were seen struggling to return to shore in a canoe before disappearing.
David gave more details about the accident in his statement, saying that the mother-and-son duo was playing kickball by the small, shallow cove behind the house before one of them kicked the ball into the water. "The cove is protected, with much calmer wind and water than in the greater Chesapeake. They got into a canoe, intending simply to retrieve the ball, and somehow got pushed by wind or tide into the open bay," he explained.
"About 30 minutes later they were spotted by an onlooker from land, who saw them far out from shore, and called the police," he continued. "After that last sighting, they were not seen again. The Coast Guard recovered their canoe, which was capsized and miles away, at approximately 6:30 yesterday evening."
As for how the couple's other children reacted to this heartbreaking news, David revealed that their seven-year-old daughter is understandably "heartbroken," but she tried to be mature. Meanwhile, "Toby is two-and-a-half, so he's still his usual magical and goofy self. I know soon he will start to ask for Maeve and Gideon. It breaks my heart that he will not get to have them as a mother and brother."
The Kennedy-Townsend family has also issued their own statement thanking people for the "outpouring of love and prayers." Of Maeve, they said, "Her husband, David, and their children, Gideon, Gabriella, and Toby, were the great joys of her life. The role she treasured most was mom."
