Edhat Staff
Divers investigating the Conception boat wreckage off Santa Cruz Island (Photo: SBSO)
The Conception Incident Unified Command is relieved to report that search and recovery efforts today were successful in locating the last missing victim. DNA testing is still being conducted to confirm identities of 7 of the 34 victims recovered.
With improved weather conditions, search and recovery efforts resumed Tuesday to search for the body of the missing Conception boat passenger.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced the Conception Incident Unified Command sent divers from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and National Parks Service to the scene Tuesday morning to resume the search for the remaining missing victim.
Salvage operations are anticipated to resume Wednesday. The Coast Guard will continue to oversee the implementation of the salvage plan. Environmental concerns will be mitigated in coordination with the National Parks Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and California Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
Before Friday, divers had recovered 33 of the 34 victims who perished during a horrific fire aboard the Conception dive boat in the early morning hours of September 2 off the coast of Santa Cruz Island.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office confirmed 22 of the 34 victims last week. On Tuesday they released the identities of 5 additional victims. The Coroner’s Office, with the assistance of rapid DNA technology has been confirming the identities of victims and notifying families.
Additional family DNA samples are being routed to the Coroner’s Office. Once received, Investigators will be able to compare and match the DNA profiles with the last 6 victims currently in the Coroner’s Office care. Those final identifications are anticipated to be confirmed later this week.
The additional victims have been identified as:
- Adrian Dahood-Fritz, 40, F, Sacramento, CA
- Lisa Fiedler, 52, F, Mill Valley, CA
- Kristina “Kristy” Finstad, 41, F, Tamrick Pines, CA
- Fernisa Sison, 57, F, Stockton, CA
- Kristian Takvam, 34, M, San Francisco, CA
A total of 27 of the 34 victims have been officially identified by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office.
More information about the victims who have been identified by family members and loved ones can be found here.
When will we know the name of the missing victim? When the body is identified? The Conception must have had a passenger manifest.
They recovered the last victim.
I believe the missing victim is 17 yr. old Berenice Felipe, the best friend of the other 17 yr. old who was celebrating her birthday with her parents on the Conception.
@8:24 – if she is a minor, I don’t think it’s appropriate to identify her, is it?
Thanks for the explanation…….
Jon, if you have a question email us at ed@edhat.com instead of posting off-topic comments detracting from the article.
-ed staff