The shock news came after the mother and eight-year-old son went missing whilst on a boat trip. 

Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, aged 40, and her son were in Maryland, America when they vanished.

The pair were later reported missing. 

Her husband, David McKean, confirmed his wife and son, Gideon, had disappeared to the Washington Post.

However, sadly, it was later also confirmed the pair had died. 

Mr McKean said they had been at a family party at a waterfront house, when a ball being played with by the children fell into the water. 

He added the pair had jumped into a canoe to chase down the ball.

He told the Washington Post: “They popped into a canoe to chase it down.

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

Whilst Mr McKean did not say whether the canoe had been found at the time, authorities later reported they had found a canoe matching the description of the one which went missing. 

It is believed high winds may have blown the boat off course.

WTOP reported the Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, opened a news conference this evening confirming the tragic outcome. 

A statement from Mr Hogan shared earlier this afternoon said police had responded to a call of an overturned canoe in the Chesapeake Bay.

It read: “The preliminary investigation revealed that the pair may have been paddling the canoe from a residence in Shady Side, MD out into the Bay to retrieve a ball and were unable to paddle back to shore.”

Mrs McKean was the grandniece of the late assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

She was also the daughter of former lieutenant governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

A statement from the family before the tragic deaths were confirmed, read: “At this time our family asks for privacy and that everyone keep Maeve and Gideon in their prayers.”

This is a breaking news story. More to follow…

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