TROY, Texas — The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team told 6 News the weather is still too bad in Homer, Alaska to continue the search for the boat of a missing family from Troy.
On Saturday, Aug. 3, the Coast Guard got a call about a 28-foot vessel taking on water around 7 p.m., according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Shannon Kerney. At the time, the vessel was reportedly carrying eight people, four of whom were rescued by a good Samaritan in the area and are expected to be ok.
The other four, Mary Maynard, her husband David and their two sons haven't been found, despite the U.S. Coast Guard's search efforts near Homer, Alaska.
The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team announced Wed. Aug 9 it will be on the water beginning on Friday, Aug. 9 to search for a boat. Unfortunately, weather conditions in that area forced them to pause their search.
"We are currently working a different mission in another part of the state as we wait for weather to improve," A rescue team spokesperson said. "It is unknown when the Alaska Department of Public Safety will suspend the search."
They added that finding the boat isn't the difficult part of the search, it's the strong currents of the water.
"With enough time we have the technology to find the boat," They added. "The biggest problem is not locating the boat, it is and always been the speed of the current in that area and the depth (240-350 feet in depth). We can dive up to 300 feet, but if the boat is not in a good place, we cannot get to it due to the speed of the water. The divers would also be dealing with about 1-2 feet of visibility, which would require a line to be secured to the boat."
Any updates on the search will be passed through the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
The Troy community has come together in the wake of the tragedy. A GoFundMe for the family has already surpassed its $10,000 goal.
More on the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team can be found on their website at this link.