Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared photographs of him and his household stopping to take a dip in a Washington D.C. river, regardless of the physique of water having an energetic well being warning as a consequence of sewage contamination.
Within the photographs posted Sunday, Kennedy shared that he, his youngsters and grandchildren went on a hike in Rock Creek Park earlier than stopping for a swim. The well being secretary might be seen dunking himself fully within the river.
Mom’s Day hike in Dumbarton Oaks Park with Amaryllis, Bobby, Kick, and Jackson, and a swim with my grandchildren, Bobcat and Cassius in Rock Creek. pic.twitter.com/TXowaSMTFY
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) Could 11, 2025
Nevertheless, Rock Creek has had an energetic well being advisory warning towards swimming within the river since October 2022.
“Rock Creek has excessive ranges of micro organism and different infectious pathogens that make swimming, wading, and different contact with the water a hazard to human (and pet) well being. Please shield your self and your pooches by staying on trails and out of the creek. All District waterways are topic to a swim ban – this implies wading, too!” a discover by the Nationwide Park Service reads.
Whereas monitoring the water in 2022, “continual elevated ranges” of E.coli have been found in Rock Creek, in line with a metropolis report. The issues in regards to the water high quality date again even additional after a 2002 D.C. Water and Sewer Authority report discovered “fecal coliform” micro organism, which originated from sewage, within the creek.
Contamination in varied D.C. our bodies of water has been of public well being concern for many years, as town banned swimming in Rock Creek in addition to the Potomac River in 1971, NBC Information reported.
RFK Jr. has not but publicly addressed the studies that the water he swam in was contaminated.
Initially printed on Latin Occasions
