Remains, sunken boat found 9 months after family goes missing
A family that went missing on a boat trip in Alaska has finally been found after nine months of searching, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
The Maynard family, including a mother and father and their two children, went missing in August 2024 on a boat excursion in Kachemak Bay near Homer, Alaska Wildlife Troopers said. The family was on a 28-foot aluminum boat with four other people when a distress call was made for the boat taking on water. Four people were rescued from a life raft by good Samaritans, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
At the time, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted an active search and rescue mission for David Maynard, 42; Mary Maynard, 37; Colton Maynard, 11; and Brantley Maynard, 8, but it was ultimately unsuccessful, officials said. The family, from Waco, Texas, was ultimately designated as missing persons.
In April, the search began anew with Support Vessels of Alaska, Vision Subsea and Benthic Geoscience offering the use of their professional tools to search Kachemak Bay for the missing boat and the Maynards, according to officials.
They found success in early May, when the vessel was found in 180 feet of water, according to Alaska Wildlife Troopers, a division of the Alaska DPS. Using a remotely operated vehicle, searchers were able to confirm the vessel they located was the missing boat with potential human remains on board, troopers said.
Volunteers, with assistance from Alaska Wildlife Troopers, conducted dive operations into the vessel on Tuesday and Wednesday and recovered three sets of remains from the vessel, according to troopers.
The remains were transported to the Alaska State Medical Examiner's Office for positive identification and autopsy, troopers said.
Volunteer search teams continue to look for a fourth set of human remains.
"The Alaska Wildlife Troopers would like to thank Support Vessels of Alaska, Vision Subsea, Benthic Geoscience Inc, and Alaska Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team for their continued assistance with this search and recovery operation," Alaska Wildlife Troopers said in statement.
Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team is a nonprofit funded by donations that responds to incidents throughout the state, according to the organization.
"All team members leave their paid jobs and families to do mission around the state to being closure to families and communities around the state," the team Thursday said in a statement on Facebook.
Next of kin have been notified of the remains found, troopers said.
"We have been very busy and are still searching the vessel for additional remains. Identification of the remains will be released by DPS once the medical examiner completes their work," Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team said in a statement Wednesday.
