Alaska divers resume recovery of Texas family member lost in Kachemak Bay

Members from the Alaska Dive, Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team are heading to Homer to resume the search for the final member of a Texas family who went missing last August.

On June 9, the Alaska Dive, Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team posted about the departure on social media, saying they were hoping to catch a small weather window in an attempt to complete search and recovery operations. “The weather forecast for seas and weather are rapidly changing so we are hoping we can find a good window of time when the waves, tides and current line up so we can make the dives.”

The post went on to say that at low tide the boat is in 180 feet of water, during high tide is can be in as much as 210 -220 feet of water with currents only slowing to 2 knots, making visibility “very limited,” and becomes zero once a search commences and the silt is disturbed.

The search comes two weeks after Alaska State Troopers announced that three members of the Maynard family and their boat were found about 16 miles west of the Homer Spit. The family was on a boat excursion in Kachemak Bay near Homer when the boat took on water.

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.

Nine months after their disappearance, the boat and remains of the Maynard family were found in Kachemak Bay. AST Wildlife Troopers reported in early May that the vessel was found in 180 feet of water, 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.