Latest news with #DavidMaynard
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Police find boat of Texas parents and two kids who went missing in Alaska a year ago
Nearly a year after a Texas family went missing on a boat in Alaska, the authorities in the state have found their vessel submerged off the coast in 180ft of water. The Alaska Department of Public Safety announced on Wednesday that authorities located the family's boat and potential human remains in early May. The tragic update comes after David Maynard, 42, Mary Maynard, 37, and their sons Colton, 11, and Brantley, 8, disappeared at sea last August. The family of four was on board a 28ft aluminum vessel with four others when it began taking in water. The other four others were rescued from a life raft, but the family was on board the ship when it capsized and sank in the freezing Alaskan waters. A massive search ensued, led by the Coast Guard and Alaska Wildlife Troopers. The authorities used helicopters and sonar equipment to find the family, but the search was suspended the following evening. An update came in April when Support Vessels of Alaska, Vision Subsea, and Benthic Geoscience contacted the Alaska Wildlife Troopers with additional resources to assist in the search, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety. 'In early May, the group was able to locate the vessel in 180 feet of water and utilizing a remotely operated vehicle, they were able to positively identify it as the missing boat with potential human remains onboard,' the Alaska Department of Public Safety said. After the companies located the sunken ship, divers conducted operations to recover the remains on board. There were three sets of remains found that have been transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office to confirm the identities. The family had been presumed dead after search efforts were suspended last year. At a presumptive death hearing in September, one of the survivors spoke and tearfully recalled the moment the boat began to sink, audio obtained by local NBC affiliate, KCEN-TV revealed. 'They were just gone,' one survivor recounted. 'It had to have been, I mean it was 10 minutes, maybe 10 minutes from us having fun to the boat - the boat rolled like this, tipped on its side and then the engines went down and just the nose up,' she added. The captain of the boat said that the engine had sputtered, and he anchored the vessel after seeing another fishing boat nearby. 'At one point, David asked me, got my attention, and he pointed to the back corner of the deck where there was a drain hole for water that would come up, get on deck,' the captain said. 'He pointed to it and he said, "Is that normal?" and I said "no."' The captain, who wasn't identified, said that he tried to fire up the engine, but it wouldn't start. David then tried to use the radio to call for help. When help arrived, the four survivors had escaped, but the Maynards didn't make it off the capsized boat. A ship called the Salty Sea rescued the survivors, and the ship's captain said their rescuers, 'asked if there was anybody else, and I told him there were, but they didn't make it out of the boat'. The jury determined that the family of four died as a result of accidental drowning. The family from Troy, Texas, had been on vacation in Alaska at the time. Appeal: A GoFundMe said the family 'left a huge imprint on many people, from the laughter they brought to us, the love and family-oriented connection they provided' A family friend told the Anchorage Daily News at the time that their sons, Colton and Brantley, both played soccer and baseball. Mary worked as a traveling nurse, and David had a lawn care business and stayed home with the kids. A fundraiser was set up to support the family on GoFundMe, and raised over $21,500. It said on the site: 'The Maynards left a huge imprint on many people, from the laughter they brought to us, the love and family-oriented connection they provided. It is indescribable the void that will be left behind but I know if we come together as a family and a community they would know how much they meant to everyone.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Private companies recover remains after search for missing family suspended
A boat and human remains have been recovered in Kachemak Bay near Homer, Alaska, in 180 feet of water, during a search for a Texas family of four, missing since August. Three private Alaskan companies volunteered in April to search for the boat using sonar equipment. Divers recovered three sets of remains from the sunken vessel, which have been taken to the State Medical Examiner's Office for identification. The missing family from Troy, Texas, includes Mary Maynard, 37, David Maynard, 42, and their sons Colton, 11, and Brantley, 8. The U.S. Coast Guard initially suspended the search the day after the boat was reported to be taking on water in August, after a nearby boat rescued four other people from the vessel. Remains found in year-long search for missing family whose boat capsized off Alaska
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Tragic update for Texas family who went missing at sea last summer
Authorities finally located a missing Texas family's boat nearly a year after they disappeared in 180 feet of water off the coast of Alaska. The Alaska Department of Public Safety announced on Wednesday that authorities located the family's boat and potential human remains in early May. The tragic update comes after David Maynard, 42, Mary Maynard, 37, and their sons Colton, 11, and Brantley, 8, disappeared at sea last August. The family of four was on board a 28 foot aluminum vessel with four others when it began taking in water. The four other individuals were rescued from a life raft, but the family was on board the ship when it capsized and sank in the freezing Alaskan waters. A massive search ensued, led by the Coast Guard and Alaska Wildlife Troopers. Authorities used helicopters and sonar equipment to find the family, but the search was suspended the following evening. An update came in April when Support Vessels of Alaska, Vision Subsea, and Benthic Geoscience contacted the Alaska Wildlife Troopers with additional resources to assist in the search, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety. 'In early May, the group was able to locate the vessel in 180 feet of water and utilizing a remotely operated vehicle, they were able to positively identify it as the missing boat with potential human remains onboard,' the Alaska Department of Public Safety said. After the companies located the sunken ship, divers conducted operations to recover the remains on board. There were three sets of remains found that have been transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office to confirm the identities. The family had been presumed dead after search efforts were suspended last year. At a presumptive death hearing in September, one of the survivors spoke and tearfully recalled the moment the boat began to sink, audio obtained by local NBC affiliate, KCEN-TV revealed. 'They were just gone,' one survivor recounted. 'It had to have been, I mean it was 10 minutes, maybe 10 minutes from us having fun to the boat - the boat rolled like this, tipped on its side and then the engines went down and just the nose up,' she added. The captain of the boat said that the engine had sputtered, and he anchored the vessel after seeing another fishing boat nearby. 'At one point, David asked me, got my attention, and he pointed to the back corner of the deck where there was a drain hole for water that would come up, get on deck,' the captain said. 'He pointed to it and he said, "Is that normal?" and I said "no."' The captain, who wasn't identified, said that he tried to fire up the engine, but it wouldn't start. David then tried to use the radio to call for help. When help arrived, the four survivors had escaped, but the Maynards didn't make it off the capsized boat. A ship called the Salty Sea rescued the survivors, and the ship's captain said their rescuers, 'asked if there was anybody else, and I told him there were, but they didn't make it out of the boat.' The presumptive death jury then determined that the family of four died as a result of accidental drowning. The family was from Troy, Texas, and was on vacation in Alaska when their boat tragically sank. A family friend told the Anchorage Daily News at the time that their sons, Colton and Brantley, both played soccer and baseball. Mary worked as a traveling nurse, and David had a lawn care business and stayed home with the kids. A fundraiser was set up to support the family on GoFundMe, and donations passed the original goal. 'The Maynard's left a huge imprint on many people, from the laughter they brought to us, the love and family-oriented connection they provided, It is indescribable the void that will be left behind but I know if we come together as a family and a community they would know how much they meant to everyone,' the description on the fundraiser read.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boat, human remains found in Alaska believed to be Texas family who went missing in August
A boat and human remains believed to belong to a Texas family who went missing from Alaskan waters nearly a year ago have been found, officials announced Wednesday. 42-year-old David Maynard of Waco, Texas was on a boat with his wife, 37-year-old Mary, as well as their children, 11-year-old Colton and 8-year-old Brantley, when they went missing on Aug. 3, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety. They were boating in the Kachemak Bay near Homer, Alaska, southwest of Anchorage, DPS said. The U.S. Coast Guard searched for the family but eventually suspended the search after nearly 24 hours, "pending the development of new information." "The decision to suspend a search is never easy and involves the careful consideration of many factors including environmental conditions and search operations," U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Shannon Kerney previously told USA TODAY. "Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and loved ones of the missing people during this unimaginably difficult time." According to DPS, the Alaska Dive, Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team tried to use sonar equipment to find the boat the family was on, but found nothing initially. The family was on a 28-foot aluminum boat with four family members when the boat capsized around 7 p.m. 16 miles west of the Homer Spit, reported television station KCEN-TV and newspaper the Anchorage Daily News. In October, a few months after their disappearance, an Alaska jury declared the family of four dead, reported the Anchorage Daily News. Wildlife troopers logged the family of four as missing, then in April, eight months later, more organizations offered to help with the search, including Support Vessels of Alaska, Vision Subsea, and Benthic Geoscience Inc. In early May, the group found a boat in 180 feet of water. The team used a remotely operated vehicle to identify it as the missing boat the family was on; also on the boat were 'potential human remains,' DPS said. On May 27 and May 28, volunteers from Alaska Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team and Alaska Wildlife Troopers took part in a diving operation and recovered three sets of remains from the sunken boat. The remains were taken to the state medical examiner's office for positive identification and autopsies. Alaska Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team said on social media that the team is searching for additional remains. 'Identification of the remains will be released by DPS once the medical examiner completes their work,' the team wrote in the post. The post did not say how long the process may take, but did confirm that next of kin had been notified. Mary and David Maynard's sons both played soccer and baseball, said Christi Wells, Mary Maynard's aunt, who gave the Anchorage Daily News a statement on behalf of Mary's parents last year. Mary was a traveling nurse and David was a stay-at-home dad with a lawn care business, Wells told the newspaper. A GoFundMe was started to support the missing family's loved ones and cover unexpected expenses. As of May 29, users have donated over $21,000. Tanashea Aviles, who started the GoFundMe, said the family was hoping to bring their loved ones home. 'This family is going through a lot right now,' Aviles wrote. Wells spoke to NBC News about the missing family shortly after their disappearance. She explained the family had been in Alaska for her son's wedding on July 27. "The whole family, they were just sweet people," Wells said at the time. "They were giving and loving people, and it's just a horrible tragedy, a horrible tragedy." — USA TODAY's Saleen Martin contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Maynard family from Texas believed to be found in Alaska: Police
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
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. MORE: Alleged jet ski driver charged with manslaughter in hit-and-run that killed Air Force Academy cadet candidate 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. MORE: Georgia teen forgives officer who wrongly arrested her leading to ICE detention "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. Remains, sunken boat found 9 months after family goes missing originally appeared on
