David and Mary Maynard, missing Troy, Texas family for four feared dead after their boat capsizes and sinks while 4 others manage to survive as questions surrounding sinking boat off Homer Spit are raised.
The U.S Coast Guard has announced that it has suspended the search for a missing Texas family of four after their boat capsized and sank off the coast of Alaska over the weekend.
David Maynard, 42, and his wife Mary Maynard, 37, from Troy, and their two sons, 11-year-old Colton and 7-year-old Brantley, were sailing near the city of Homer on a 28-foot aluminum boat when it started to take on water at around 7 p.m. Saturday, August 3rd.
The family had been out with four other people on the 28-foot aluminum vessel on Saturday when it began taking on water around 7 p.m., according to Travis Magee, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard according to the Anchorage Daily News.
Search effort called off
A radio broadcast was quickly sent out by the Coast Guard to other ships in the area to aid in the rescue about 16 miles off the coast of Homer, Alaska, Magee told the outlet.
The four others were rescued uninjured from a life raft amid frigid waters, the report added. The Texas family of four continued to remain un-accounted.
Search efforts continued on Sunday, but were suspended around 6 p.m, Sunday night. Magee told told Anchorage Daily News that he didn’t have any additional information on the four rescued passengers.
The U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson also said he didn’t have further details on the boat or what caused the vessel to sink.
According to authorities, waves had been around 2 feet tall and winds were less than 5 knots (6 mph) when the boat capsized. The area the Coast Guard has been searching is approximately 16 miles west of the Homer Spit, the publication stated.
The water at the time was around 51 degrees Fahrenheit according to KCEN-TV.
Alaska beauty … but at what price?
A Coast Guard helicopter, plane, cutter and two other vessels were used during the search, in addition to help from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers and good Samaritan boats, Magee said.
Not immediately clear is how the four that were rescued came to survive while the family of four were considered perished, including if all individuals on the boat outing had been fitted and wearing life preservers.
Noted the Coast Guard: ‘Any time we make a decision to suspend a search and rescue case is a very difficult one to make.’
Adding, ‘Our hearts are definitely with the families right now as they grieve.’
Key factors that are considered when calling off a water search include the area covered, the likelihood of survival, and the water temperature.
Relatives described Mary as a traveling nurse, with husband David, having a lawn care business. The couple and their two sons were reportedly visiting family and friends in Alaska.
A GoFundMe page set up to help the family with unexpected expenses has so far reached around $10,760.
Just days before he went missing, David Maynard shared photos of the scenery in Alaska and a bear he saw while out with his family in his final Facebook post before going missing.
‘After 4 days in Alaska I FINALLY got to see my first bear!!!! No picture can ever show just how beautiful this place truly is!!!!!’ the missing father captioned his last post.
