Overview

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Health Secretary, posted photos of himself swimming in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek with his grandchildren on Mother's Day, despite a decades-old swimming ban.
• The National Park Service has prohibited swimming in Rock Creek since the 1970s due to high bacterial levels and sewage contamination, which pose health risks to humans and pets.
• Kennedy's actions have drawn widespread backlash from public health experts and media outlets, with concerns about the implications of his defiance of public health advisories.
• The Department of Health and Human Services has not issued a statement or responded to media inquiries regarding the incident or its health implications.
• Coinciding with the controversy, DC Water announced emergency repairs to a cracked sewer line near Rock Creek, underscoring the aging infrastructure contributing to the waterway's contamination.