Alaska

Missing family's boat found in Alaska waters along with human remains

Published

1 year ago

May 29, 2025

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Nearly a year after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for a family of four missing after the boat they were on capsized in waters off south-central Alaska, the vessel along with human remains have been found, officials said Wednesday.

The discovery came after three private Alaska companies, including one that uses sonar equipment to search underwater, offered in April to help look for the family, who are from Texas, according to a statement released by the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

Earlier this month, they found the missing boat along with human remains in 180 feet (55 meters) of water in Kachemak Bay near Homer, the department said.

Divers from the state were then able to recover three sets of remains from the sunken vessel during dives on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The remains have been taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office to perform autopsies and identify them, according to the public safety department. It did not say how long identifying the remains would take.

The missing family from Troy, Texas, includes Mary Maynard, 37, and David Maynard, 42, along with sons Colton, 11, and Brantley, 8, according to the statement.

The search for the family was launched in August after a report came in that a 28-foot (8.5-meter) aluminum boat carrying eight people had begun taking on water, the U.S. Coast Guard said at the time. The Coast Guard notified other ships in the area of the situation, and a boat nearby rescued four people.

The Coast Guard scoured Kachemak Bay and Alaska search and rescue crews tried to use sonar equipment to find the family, according to the state’s public safety department. But they were not successful and by the next evening, the search was suspended.

Christi Wells, who provided a statement on behalf of Mary Maynard’s parents at the time, said the family enjoyed spending time with friends and relatives, and traveling, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Mary Maynard was a traveling nurse and David Maynard stayed at home with the children and had a lawn care business, she said.

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Alaska

DFFP Responds to Joaquin Fire 31.5 Miles Southwest of McGrath

Published

37 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Press Room

DFFP Responds to Joaquin Fire 31.5 Miles Southwest of McGrath

By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection on June 20, 2026

DFFP received reports of smoke near Mt. Joaquin at 8:00 PM Saturday. A DFFP helicopter responded and located the Joaquin Fire (#238) burning in black spruce and tundra roughly 31.5 miles southwest of McGrath.

Due to a nearby native allotment, additional aerial resources were ordered. The fire is currently 30 acres and has six smokejumpers, one air attack, and two single-engine water scoopers. No structures are threatened.

‹ Go Evacuation for Anderson due to wildland fire

Two new wildfires reported Saturday evening north of Anderson ›

Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)

Tags: 2026 Alaska Fire Season, Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, DFFP Coastal Region, Joaquin Fire, Southwest Alaska

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Alaska

Anchorage celebrates Juneteenth with 3-day community event downtown

Published

11 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Anchorage celebrates Juneteenth with 3-day community event downtown

The crowd reacts to a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)

Anchorage is commemorating Juneteenth with dancing, music and celebrations of Black excellence and culture this weekend.

The citywide Juneteenth celebration also includes opportunities for education, community gathering and reflection, and features vendors and guest speakers. The event kicked off Friday and continues from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Delaney Park Strip.

A dancer performs during the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)

A young drummer performs during the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)

Tragil Wade, an entrepreneur, author and inspirational speaker, takes the stage at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)

Tragil Wade, an entrepreneur, author and inspirational speaker who is the big sister of former NBA great Dwyane Wade, was Friday’s special guest.

Saturday’s festivities, spotlighting the theme “Community and Culture,” kicked off with a freedom rally and parade. Saturday also features a youth segment, hip-hop dancing, community line dancing, multiple DJs and a performance from Soul Society.

“Faith and Family” is the theme for Sunday’s festivities. There will be a special Father’s Day opening at 1 p.m., a praise cardio session on the grass and an HBCU gospel segment. The afternoon will close with a community praise dance.

Juneteenth commemorates the day that the last slaves in the Confederacy were informed of their freedom following the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865. Long celebrated by Black Americans, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. In 2023, the Anchorage Assembly made Juneteenth an official city holiday, and in 2024, the Alaska Legislature passed a bill to designate Juneteenth as a state holiday.

Members of the crowd cheer during a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)

A young drummer focuses during a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)

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Alaska

Pilot dies in small plane crash southeast of Cordova

Published

21 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Pilot dies in small plane crash southeast of Cordova

A pilot was killed in a plane crash in mountainous terrain near Cordova, Alaska State Troopers said Friday.

The agency was notified of the overdue Piper Pacer around 8 p.m. Thursday, troopers said in an online post. The pilot was believed to be the sole person on board the aircraft, which was thought to be flying between Yakutat and Fairbanks, troopers said.

Aircraft from the Alaska Air National Guard and Alaska Wildlife Troopers started searching for the plane, and a Guard helicopter crew found the overdue Piper Pacer around 4 p.m. Friday where it had crashed near Kanak Island, about 40 miles southeast of Cordova, troopers said.

The pilot, whom troopers did not identify, was found dead in the crashed plane, troopers said. His body was take to the State Medical Examiner Office in Anchorage for autopsy and positive identification, according to troopers.

Troopers said the pilot’s next of kin and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified.

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