Browsing: Conception

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Dive Boat Captain Sentenced to Prison

A federal judge has sentenced the captain of the dive boat Conception that caught fire and sank off Southern California in 2019, killing all 33 passengers who were sleeping on a lower deck and one crewmember, to four years in prison. The captain, Jerry Nehl Boylan, 69, of Santa Barbara, was convicted by a federal court jury in November of “seaman’s manslaughter.” It said he was guilty of “misconduct, gross negligence and inattention to his duties.” The charge carried a sentence of up to ten years in federal prison. The 75-foot dive boat caught fire at 3 a.m. on Labor…

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Dive Boat Captain Indicted in 34 Deaths

Federal prosecutors just indicted the captain of the dive boat that caught fire last year off the Southern California coast on 34 counts of manslaughter. The captain, Jerry Boylan, 67, is expected to turn himself in to authorities within the next few weeks. A fast-moving fire broke out at night on the 75-foot dive boat Conception on Sept. 2, 2019, Labor Day Weekend, when it was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara. The boat was on a three-day chartered dive trip, with 33 passengers and six crew on board. All the passengers, and one crew…

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NTSB Faults Owner, Captain, in Dive Boat Tragedy

The National Transportation Safety Board sharply criticized the owners and captain of the 75-foot dive boat Conception that burned and sank off Southern California last year, killing 34 people, for not posting a night watch and for failing to train the crew in how to handle emergencies. In a virtual meeting of the five-member board, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt told Truth Aquatics, the Conception’s owner, to “clean up your act.” And board member Jennifer Homendy, who traveled to Santa Barbara after the fire and toured a sister ship of the Conception said, “I hate the term accident in this case…

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Deadly Conception Fire Probe: Too Many Electronic Devices?

Officials now think they may have a clue about what started the tragic fire on the Conception, the 75-foot dive boat that burned and sank off Southern California on Labor Day, killing all 34 people who were sleeping on the lower deck: Too many electronic devices, many with lithium batteries, that were plugged into outlets in the boat’s galley where the fire started.  Even as the Conception investigation continued, the Coast Guard urged boat owners to reduce fire hazards by limiting the charging of lithium-ion batteries on board.  Here’s an extensive update on what we know so far from the Los…

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Possible Criminal Charges in Tragic Sinking of California Dive Boat

Various federal agencies are considering criminal charges in the tragic fire on board the 75-foot dive boat that burned on Labor Day, killing 34 people who were sleeping on a lower deck. The boat, Conception, was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands about 20 miles off the coast of Southern California. Five people, the captain and four crew members, were able to escape off the boat. They had been sleeping on an upper deck. They told investigators that flames kept them from helping the 34 people (33 passengers and one crew member) who were sleeping below.…

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Some Questions To Ask Before You Climb on That Boat

After the tragic fire on the dive boat Conception off Southern California that killed 34 people, here are some questions you might want to ask before you get on a new boat yourself, from The Los Angeles Times: By CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS STAFF WRITER  The thing to remember is that when you step aboard a vessel, “you are leaving the safety of land,” said John Higgins, harbor master for the Ventura Port District and a 23-year Harbor Patrol veteran. “You are putting yourself in a vulnerable position. “You can’t dial 911 and somebody gets there in three to five minutes the way they do…