Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery announced on Wednesday night that they would pick up the search for the vessel that sunk 14 miles off the coast of Homer over the weekend. There were eight people aboard when the boat capsized; four were rescued, but a family of four vacationing from Texas are still missing and presumed dead.
“We will be on the water starting Friday between Homer and Anchor Point, searching for the boat that sank on August 3rd,” ADSRR said in a social media post. “We ask people to please stay clear of the area while we are searching so we do not have to change course while towing our Side Scan Sonar.’
According to the post, any vessels or persons in the area could potentially “hamper search efforts.”
The volunteer search and rescue organization said updates on the search would be passed to the public through the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
The United States Coast Guard received the initial Mayday call for a 28-foot aluminum boat West of Homer at around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 3.
The Texas family, all of whom are still missing, have been identified as David Maynard, his wife Mary, and their seven and eleven-year-old sons Colton and Brantley. The Maynards had been vacationing in Alaska from Troy, Texas, for about a week.
Four other people from the capsized vessel managed to get into a liferaft and were saved by a good samaritan responding to the USCG mayday call.
It is unclear at this time if anyone from the Maynard family was wearing a personal floatation device.
The Coast Guard utilized multiple assets and personnel, including a helicopter crew, a C-130, the USCG Cutter Naushon, and two 29-foot vessels. The Alaska State Troopers aided Coast Guard crews by using one of their search boats. Multiple Good Samaritan vessels were also on the scene, assisting in search efforts.
For more information about the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery team, visit akdiverescue.org.