BELL COUNTY, Texas — Petty Officer First Class Shannon Kearney with the U.S. Coast Guard told 6 News that it will take several days to answer some lingering questions regarding the vessel that capsized off the coast of Homer, Alaska, which resulted in a Troy, Texas family being lost at sea.
These questions include why did the ship sink and whether or not we can obtain more information about what happened from the four survivors of the accident.
"It would realistically require a handful of days to answer since we would have to reach out to different departments in the Coast Guard," Kearney explained to 6 News in an email.
On Saturday, Aug. 3, David Maynard, 42, his wife Mary, 37, and their two sons, Colton, 11, and Brantley, 7, were aboard a 28-foot aluminum boat with four others when it capsized 16 miles west of Homer Spit around 7 p.m.
The Coast Guard issued a radio broadcast in response to notify nearby vessels, including the Salty Sea, which rescued the four other occupants of the boat from a life raft within 15 minutes after the radio broadcast, according to KBBI.
The Coast Guard also executed a search for the Maynard family, which included sea and air crews. The Alaska State Troopers and many Samaritan vessel crews also helped in the efforts to find the Maynard family, the news release continued, however, the search was called off Sunday night around 24 hours after the incident.
"...The Coast Guard does not presume statuses of missing persons in search and rescue cases, even when suspended," Kearney said.
The Coast Guard went on to say they "could not speculate as to why only four of the eight people onboard the boat were rescued and said it's unknown if those onboard were wearing life jackets. The agency was unaware if the survivors had been interviewed," according to Alaska News Source.
The Coast Guard told 6 News on Aug. 7 that the matter was no longer an active Coast Guard case, and they had no more information to provide.
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NBC News spoke with Mary Maynard's aunt, Christi Wells, who said they were all in Alaska for Wells' son's wedding, but she did not say who else was on the boat.
When asked what the survivors said about the accident, Kearney declined to comment.
Meanwhile, U.S. Representative John Carter and Troy ISD Superintendent Neil Jeter issued statements to 6 News:
“I’ve been following this story since it broke, and I’ve been praying for a miracle," Carter said. "My heart goes out to the family and friends of Mary, David and their two young children. The Troy community is in my thoughts as they grieve this tragedy.”
"The Troy schools and community were devastated to learn that the David Maynard family is missing after a boating accident over the weekend near Homer, Alaska," Jeter said.
Jeter said the Maynard's sons attended two Troy ISD campuses: Colton is in sixth grade and
Brantley is in second grade.
"Each passing day is a painful reminder that they may not return home," Jeter continued. "We continue to pray for a miracle and for comfort for their family, classmates and friends. Troy school counselors are available to assist our students as they deal with this heartbreaking situation."
Troy is a small city located in Bell County, Texas. City Administrator Gary Smith said Troy is one of the fastest growing cities in the county with 44% population growth since 2021.
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