A BIRTHDAY vacation turned into a tragedy after a family of four got lost at sea after their boat capsized. The Maynard family consisting of husband and wife David and Mary and their two children Colton, 11, and Brantley, 7, were on a dream trip in Alaska from their home in Troy, Texas . On August 3, around 7 pm, the coastguard received a report of a 28ft aluminum vessel with eight passengers onboard taking on water off the coast of Homer.
A nearby ship, the Salty Sea responded to a radio call and managed to rescue four of the eight people on board, however, the Maynards were named as those still missing. Despite a desperate search for the family including multiple vessels, a plane, divers, and a helicopter, the family is still missing and the search was called off on Sunday at 6 pm. Key factors that are considered when calling off a water search include the area covered, the likelihood of survival of those missing, and the water temperature which was 51F when the vessel capsized, Shannon Kearney, public affairs specialist for the US Coast Guard told KCENNews .
read more on boat incidents "Any time we make a decision to suspend a search and rescue case is a very difficult one to make," Kearney said. She added that if any new information comes to light, a search can be continued, noting that at the time of the incident, waves were two feet high and the wind gusts were less than five knots. 'MOMMY LOVES YOU' As relatives, family friends, and neighbors take to Facebook to share .