Kennedy Curse Strikes Again

[Mike]

On a sad note, the Kennedy family has once again suffered tragic losses.

A member of the Kennedy family and her 8-year-old son have been identified Friday as the two boaters who are still missing after vanishing yesterday in Chesapeake Bay.

David McKean told the Washington Post that he, his wife Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, and their child Gideon Joseph Kennedy McKean had gathered Thursday at her mom’s home in Shady Side, Maryland. Children there were kicking around a ball in the yard – but at one point it went into the water, and his wife and son “popped into a canoe to chase it down,” he said.


“They just got farther out than they could handle and couldn’t get back in,” he added.


Maeve is the granddaughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and grandniece of late president John F. Kennedy, according to the Washington Post. She currently works as the executive director of the Georgetown University Global Health Initiative.

SOURCE

[TriGuy]

I just have to say it. Bet the damn fools had no PFDs either. plus always have a functioning Marine radio on any kayak or canoe and know how to call out on channel 16

[Honda]

I saw that very very sad.

[Dave Grubb]

I just have to say it. Bet the damn fools had no PFDs either. plus always have a functioning Marine radio on any kayak or canoe and know how to call out on channel 16

I'd argue that isn't realistic

PFD---fine---but a Marine radio---not so much. In this case they were in the Chesapeake Bay and would likely have been heard but who runs to get a radio to recover a ball

I have spent long hours in canoes, including racing, and have never had a radio with me. the last time I dumped a canoe was in Alaska---on a lake just south of Denali---I don't think a radio would have helped----not to mention when the canoe went over I lost the damn thing.

More to this problem. It has been very windy here and I suspect the wind caught the canoe and they were not experienced enough to keep it headed into the wind and simply got blown further out into the bay. Canoes are not very forgiving to mistakes.

May they be recovered soon and peace to the family.

[TriGuy]

I'd argue that isn't realistic

PFD---fine---but a Marine radio---not so much. In this case they were in the Chesapeake Bay and would likely have been heard but who runs to get a radio to recover a ball

I have spent long hours in canoes, including racing, and have never had a radio with me. the last time I dumped a canoe was in Alaska---on a lake just south of Denali---I don't think a radio would have helped----not to mention when the canoe went over I lost the damn thing.

More to this problem. It has been very windy here and I suspect the wind caught the canoe and they were not experienced enough to keep it headed into the wind and simply got blown further out into the bay. Canoes are not very forgiving to mistakes.

May they be recovered soon and peace to the family.

well in the circle I run in every person wears a PFD and at least one PFD in each kayak or canoe has a radio strapped to a PFD Shoulder strap. Of course we are all retired Fire or Law Enforcement and are all rescue trained and have seen too much bad stuff go down. Same mantra goes with the Northern California Kayak Anglers Association no one hits the water without at least those two items and we have over 2000 members

[Dave Grubb]

I would hate to be tethered to only areas that radio might have value. Where I come from we learn to swim

Not trying to be a smart a**, and certainly not trying to distract from this horrible accident---but I do seriously believe we have gone too far in thinking that our own well being is external to us. Allow me to explain that by using the example of the dumped canoe in Alaska.

That canoe went over not because of high winds, rough water or any other uncontrollable event---it went over because my buddy did something stupid. I also have to confess that I'm not sure that we had PFDs on. In any event we went for a swim. There was no one even close that would or could "save" us. Getting back into a swamped canoe works best in videos---but hanging on to a swamped canoe and swimming it back to shore does work and results only in damage to the pride. The point is, being capable of taking care of yourself is more valuable, in my book, than having "accessories" that might help.

A few photos from that trip:

[CactusCurt]

Cactus demonstrates the proper use of a pfd in Lava Falls.