Nearly ten months after a Texas family’s 28-foot aluminum boat capsized off the coast of Homer, Alaska, on August 3, 2024, Alaska State Troopers announced on May 29, 2025, that human remains were recovered from the sunken vessel in Kachemak Bay. The family, identified as David Maynard (42), Mary Maynard (37), and their sons Colton (11) and Brantley (8), all from Troy, Texas, were among eight people on board when the boat began taking on water 16 miles west of the Homer Spit. Four others, an Alaskan family, were rescued from a life raft by a good Samaritan vessel, the Salty Sea, but the Maynards were not seen exiting the vessel.
In early May 2025, three private companies—Support Vessels of Alaska, Vision Subsea, and Benthic Geoscience Inc.—located the boat in 180 feet of water using a remotely operated vehicle, identifying potential human remains onboard. Divers from the Alaska Dive, Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team, alongside Alaska Wildlife Troopers, recovered three sets of remains, which were sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Juneau for identification and autopsy. While next of kin have been notified, authorities have not yet confirmed the identities, though they are believed to be members of the Maynard family.
The U.S. Coast Guard had suspended its initial 24-hour search on August 4, 2024, after covering 1,420 square nautical miles, citing a low likelihood of survival due to the 51°F water temperature and the family’s estimated survival time of 7-10 hours. A presumptive death hearing in September 2024, where survivors testified, concluded the Maynards likely drowned, with survivor Alea Perkovich recalling the boat sinking rapidly within 10 minutes. The discovery brings closure to the family, described on a GoFundMe as “loving and family-oriented,” leaving a significant impact on their community.