Millions of litres of sewage spills into this creek every year. RFK Jr just went swimming in it
Washington: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr posted photos on the weekend of himself and his grandchildren swimming in a contaminated Washington creek where swimming is not allowed because it is used for sewer run-off.
Rock Creek, which flows through much of north-west Washington, DC, is used to drain excess sewage and stormwater during rainfall. The creek has widespread fecal contamination and high levels of bacteria, including E. coli. The city has banned swimming in all of its waterways for more than 50 years because of the widespread contamination of Rock Creek and other nearby rivers.
'Rock Creek has high levels of bacteria and other infectious pathogens that make swimming, wading and other contact with the water a hazard to human (and pet) health,' the National Park Service wrote in an advisory on its website, adding 'All district waterways are subject to a swim ban – this means wading, too!'
But Kennedy over the weekend shared photos of himself swimming in Rock Creek, with one image showing him completely submerged in the water. Kennedy said in the social media post that he had gone for the swim during a Mother's Day hike in Dumbarton Oaks Park with his family – including his grandchildren, who are also seen in the photos swimming in the contaminated water.
Dumbarton Oaks Park is downstream from Piney Branch, a tributary of Rock Creek that receives about 150 million litres of untreated sewage and stormwater overflow each year, according to the DC Water and Sewer Authority. City authorities are planning to build a tunnel that will reduce the amount of sewage that flows into Piney Branch and Rock Creek.
Loading
A spokesperson for Kennedy did not respond to a request for comment.
It was the latest in a series of peculiar incidents related to Kennedy's outdoorsman persona.
As a teen in the 1970s, Kennedy earned a reputation as a reckless adventurer, eating bushmeat and enduring disease on trips to South America and on African safaris. He later earned notoriety for his handling of the carcasses of dead animals, including a whale and a baby bear.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Perth Now
Robert F Kennedy sacks entire US vaccine panel
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has fired all members sitting on a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel of vaccine experts. Kennedy removed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement on Monday, and is in the process of considering new members to replace them. "Today we are prioritising the restoration of public trust above any specific pro or anti-vaccine agenda," Kennedy said. "The public must know that unbiased science - evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest - guides the recommendations of our health agencies." Kennedy claimed that ACIP was rife with conflicts and had never turned down a vaccine, but the decision to approve vaccines rests with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ACIP provides guidance to the CDC on which groups of people would most benefit from an already-approved vaccine, and when they should get it. "That's a tragedy," former FDA Chief Scientist Jesse Goodman said of the firings. "This is a highly professional group of scientists and physicians and others ... It's the kind of political meddling that will reduce confidence rather than increase confidence." Kennedy who has questioned the safety and efficacy of vaccines, making claims contrary to scientific evidence, said most ACIP members receive funding from drugmakers. But ACIP members are required to declare any potential or perceived conflicts of interest that arise in the course of ACIP tenure and any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with organisations relevant to the work of the ACIP. Kennedy provided no specific evidence of industry conflicts of interest among departing ACIP members. All 17 sitting ACIP members were appointed under former president Joe Biden's administration. Not removing them would have prevented President Donald Trump's administration from choosing a majority of the committee until 2028. "This is not a political committee, it's never been partisan," said Dorit Reiss, a vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco. "It's an expert committee. Presidents have never been involved in ACIP membership." The decision drew criticism from Democrats in Congress, and one key Republican. "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," said Republican Senator Bill Cassidy in a post on X. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case." Cassidy, a doctor from Louisiana who had expressed wariness about Kennedy's anti-vaccine views before clearing the path for him to become the nation's top health official, said at the time he had received assurances Kennedy would protect existing vaccination programs.


West Australian
16 hours ago
- West Australian
Robert F Kennedy sacks entire US vaccine panel
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has fired all members sitting on a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel of vaccine experts. Kennedy removed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement on Monday, and is in the process of considering new members to replace them. "Today we are prioritising the restoration of public trust above any specific pro or anti-vaccine agenda," Kennedy said. "The public must know that unbiased science - evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest - guides the recommendations of our health agencies." Kennedy claimed that ACIP was rife with conflicts and had never turned down a vaccine, but the decision to approve vaccines rests with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ACIP provides guidance to the CDC on which groups of people would most benefit from an already-approved vaccine, and when they should get it. "That's a tragedy," former FDA Chief Scientist Jesse Goodman said of the firings. "This is a highly professional group of scientists and physicians and others ... It's the kind of political meddling that will reduce confidence rather than increase confidence." Kennedy who has questioned the safety and efficacy of vaccines, making claims contrary to scientific evidence, said most ACIP members receive funding from drugmakers. But ACIP members are required to declare any potential or perceived conflicts of interest that arise in the course of ACIP tenure and any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with organisations relevant to the work of the ACIP. Kennedy provided no specific evidence of industry conflicts of interest among departing ACIP members. All 17 sitting ACIP members were appointed under former president Joe Biden's administration. Not removing them would have prevented President Donald Trump's administration from choosing a majority of the committee until 2028. "This is not a political committee, it's never been partisan," said Dorit Reiss, a vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco. "It's an expert committee. Presidents have never been involved in ACIP membership." The decision drew criticism from Democrats in Congress, and one key Republican. "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," said Republican Senator Bill Cassidy in a post on X. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case." Cassidy, a doctor from Louisiana who had expressed wariness about Kennedy's anti-vaccine views before clearing the path for him to become the nation's top health official, said at the time he had received assurances Kennedy would protect existing vaccination programs.

ABC News
5 days ago
- ABC News
A Premier ousted, life in Gaza right now + banning e-scooters
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has been forced out of the top job and will request a snap election. And as pressure mounts on Israel to allow more aid to reach those at risk of starvation in Gaza, we hear a first-hand account of what life's like in the war zone. Plus, a fatal collision has prompted Perth to suspend e-scooter hires. Should they be banned everywhere? Listen now: 01:03 - Tasmania's political upheaval 04:35 - Inside Gaza 17:08 - Are e-scooters worth the dangers? Guests: Josh Duggan, reporter, ABC Hobart Josh Duggan, reporter, ABC Hobart Abeer Abou Mutlak, aid worker in Gaza Abeer Abou Mutlak, aid worker in Gaza Anna Lindstedt, injured by e-bike Anna Lindstedt, injured by e-bike Madison Bland, PhD candidate, Griffith University's Cities Research Institute Get the whole story from Hack: