Four people remain missing from a capsized vessel near Homer after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended search and rescue attempts Sunday night.
Chief Petty Officer Travis Magee is a Coast Guard spokesperson. He said they received a call on Aug. 3 that a nearly 28-foot boat was taking on water about 14 nautical miles west of Homer.
Good Samaritans aboard the Salty Sea rescued four people about 15 minutes after the Coast Guard sent out a broadcast notice, but could not find the remaining people.
Magee said they searched the area with a fixed wing aircraft, helicopter, Coast Guard Cutter Naushon and other boats. Alaska State Troopers and other good Samaritans also helped in the search.
He says they called off the search about 24 hours later on Sunday after considering several factors including weather and environmental conditions, as well as the number of vessels searching the area.
“After considering all those different factors and the fact that the Coast Guard was able to saturate the search area with search assets and personnel, made the decision to suspend the search for the four missing people," he said, "and that's not a decision that comes lightly.”
Magee identified the missing boaters as David, Mary, Colton and Brantley Maynard. According to KCEN-TV, the Maynards were a family from Troy, Texas.
Both Alaska State Troopers and the Coast Guard did not provide details on the rescued boaters.
