The Coast Guard is now looking into the possibility the distress call was a hoax. Read more about the investigation here.

(CNN) The US Coast Guard suspended a search Sunday for a man and three children who went missing after their 14-foot boat capsized off the coast of Kennebunkport, Maine.

In a mayday call released by the US Coast Guard Northeast Division, the man said the boat flipped over and he and the children were in the water trying to get back to the top of the boat. He said if that was unsuccessful, they would huddle in the water.

The Coast Guard received the call around 10 a.m. Saturday and searched for the missing four for about 22 hours, in an area that spanned over 1,500 square nautical miles, according to a USCG release. The search team included Maine Marine Patrol, Wells Police Department and other local participants, the release said.

The search was called off at 8 a.m. Sunday, the release said.

"We utilized every resource at our disposal and applied an extraordinary amount of search effort to locate these boaters. If there was anyone in distress we gave them the best possible chance for rescue," said Cmdr. James McLay, search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector Northern New England.