An entire family, including two young sons, is lost at sea after the boat they were on capsized and sank in freezing waters off the coast of Alaska.
Mary and David Maynard and their two sons, 11-year-old Colton and 7-year-old Brantley, were on a 28-foot aluminum vessel with four others Saturday when the ship began taking on water around 7 p.m., said Travis Magee, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard.
The ship Salty Sea responded to a radio call for help and was able to rescue the other four from a life raft, reports the Anchorage Daily News.
Since then, the Coast Guard has been searching the waters off Homer, Alaska, for the Texas family, using a helicopter, an airplane, a cutter and two other vessels. They are also getting help from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers and the Good Samaritan steamboats.
To date, the family remains missing and the search was called off around 6pm on Sunday.
Mary and David Maynard, as well as their two sons, 11-year-old Colton and seven-year-old Brantley, are missing at sea
“Any time we make a decision to suspend a search and rescue effort, it’s a very difficult decision,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer Shannon Kerney. told KCEN-TVand noted that the water was 51 degrees when the boat capsized.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, waves were only two feet high and wind speeds were less than five knots.
“Cases that are suspended are only suspended pending the development of new information,” Kerney added.
‘If anything comes to light, whatever new information we get, we are more than prepared to continue our search.
“Our thoughts are with the families in this grieving life.”
Family friend Cassandra Martin said she was left heartbroken when she heard the news
The family’s disappearance occurred just two days before school was to start, according to My San Antonio.
A family friend posted news of Maynard’s disappearance on Facebook, asking for prayers for the family.
“I kindly ask for prayers from everyone that I can,” Stetson Chase she wrote on Sunday, when she announced that the family was on a boat that had capsized.
“We may not have been best friends, but we only knew each other through sports and our children. I think I can say, as can many, that they were a wonderful, caring, loving family that deserves to be taken home.”
Mary and David are both from Troy, Texas, and raised their sons there, Christi Wells told the Anchorage Daily News.
The Texas family loves to travel and were visiting friends in Alaska when they were lost at sea
Colton suffered from epilepsy for years and underwent brain surgery in 2021
She noted that Colton and Brantley both played soccer and baseball, and said Mary, 37, worked as a traveling nurse, while David, 42, stayed home with their children and ran a lawn care business.
The family has been through a lot: Colton suffered from epilepsy for years before undergoing brain surgery in 2021, Mary posted at the time.
The family enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends, and Wells said they did the same in Alaska.
In a heartbreaking final post on Facebook, David shared photos of the Alaskan landscape, featuring mountains and a bear. He wrote on Tuesday: ‘After four days in Alaska I FINALLY saw my first bear!!!!
‘No picture can ever show how beautiful this place really is!!!!!’
In a heartbreaking final post on Facebook, David shared photos of the Alaskan landscape
Cassandra Martin, a close friend of the family, said she was heartbroken when she heard what had happened.
She told KWTX “It’s hard to believe this could be real… she, her husband and her sons are all beloved members of our community.”
Another family friend, Jennifer York, wrote on Facebook that she “needs God to perform a miracle by finding these four beautiful people.”
“Please pray for Mary’s mother Charlotte and the entire family during this difficult time,” she added.
A An online fundraiser has also been set up to raise money for the family.
“The Mayards are not just friends, they are family to me and many others,” it reads.
‘The Maynards left a great impression on many people through the laughter they brought, the love and the family bond they provided.
“The void left behind is indescribable, but I know that when we come together as a family and community, they will know how much they mean to everyone,” it adds.
By Monday evening, the family had raised more than $8,000.