Nearly a year after a tragic boating accident in Kachemak Bay, the search for a missing Texas family has brought heartbreaking closure.
Alaska State Troopers announced this week that human remains have been recovered from a sunken vessel located roughly 16 miles west of the Homer Spit in Kachemak Bay. The 28-foot aluminum boat is the same vessel that capsized on August 3, 2024, with eight people on board. Four were rescued, but David Maynard, 42, his wife Mary, 37, and their two sons — Colton, 11, and Brantley, 8 — all from Troy, Texas, were never found and have been listed as missing persons since the incident.
On May 27 and 28, volunteer divers from the Alaska Dive, Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team, with assistance from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, conducted dive operations at the site of the sunken boat. The remains of three individuals were recovered and have been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and autopsy. Next of kin have been notified, although authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the recovered remains.
The recovery effort marks a turning point in a long and difficult search. Initial rescue efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard in August 2024 involved multiple aircraft, vessels, and volunteer boats, but no trace of the Maynard family or the vessel was found at that time. Alaska Dive, Search, Rescue, and Recovery (ADSRR) attempted sonar searches in the days following the capsizing, but rough weather and underwater conditions hampered progress.
It wasn’t until April 2025 that three private companies — Support Vessels of Alaska, Vision Subsea, and Benthic Geoscience Inc. — contacted Wildlife Troopers and offered their resources to resume the search. Using remote-operated vehicle technology, the team located the boat in 180 feet of water earlier this month and confirmed it to be the missing vessel.
The discovery brings grim resolution to a case that gripped the Homer community and drew attention across the state. The Maynards had been in Alaska for about a week on vacation when the tragedy occurred. Four others aboard the boat survived after making it into a liferaft and being rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel responding to the Coast Guard’s mayday broadcast.
The Alaska Wildlife Troopers thanked all those involved in the extended search and recovery effort. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the capsizing remains open.
For more on the ongoing work of Alaska Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery, visit akdiverescue.org.