Edhat Staff
Photo: Ventura County Fire Department
Update by edhat staff
Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr Matthew Kroll confirmed Monday evening that 25 bodies have been discovered with 9 still missing, reports the Associated Press.
Four bodies were recovered earlier in the day with injuries consistent with drowning, according to Kroll. Sixteen other bodies were pulled from the water later that day with five more found on the ocean floor that are unable to be recovered due to unsafe conditions under the boat.
It’s unknown at this time when the nine bodies will be recovered. Searches are expected to continue throughout the evening and early morning.
Update by edhat staff
Initial Response
At approximately 3:30 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach watchstanders overheard a mayday call via channel 16 of an engulfed 75-foot commercial diving vessel with 39 people aboard.
Crews from the Coast Guard, Santa Barbara Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department and Vessel Assist responded. The fire department crews were fighting the fire when the vessel sank 20 yards off shore in 64 feet of water around 7:20 a.m.
Those onboard Conception were part of a scheduled 3-day trip that departed on August 31st. Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown reported the boat was scheduled to return to the Santa Barbara on Tuesday morning, however other reports and an online itinerary state the boat was scheduled to return on Monday at 5:00 p.m. The boat is owned by Truth Aquatics and has been operational since 1974.
Sheriff Brown stated there were no initial reports of an explosion and the mayday call confirmed the fire was fully underway.
Victims and Survivors
Conception had 39 people on board, 6 crew members and 33 passengers.
Five people, all crew members, were rescued from the water during the initial response to the incident.
Four bodies were recovered and taken to the Coroner. They can only be identified as two adult males and two adult females, ages unknown. Sheriff Brown stated DNA may be needed to properly identify these victims, which will take time.
Four more bodies were spotted by divers on the ocean floor in close proximity of the boat. Dive teams are attempting the recovery of their bodies.
There are 26 people still unaccounted for. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office will release information regarding victims as it becomes available pending next of kin notifications. They do have a list of passengers.
Sheriff Brown stated all passengers are from Southern California or beyond, appear to be diving enthusiasts, and is a mix of men, women, crew, and passengers. Brown also confirmed it does not appear that everyone knew one another.
Rescue and Recovery Operations
The Coast Guard is actively searching for additional people. The Coast Guard is scheduled to continue their search efforts throughout the night.
A 3,000-foot temporary flight restriction has been established around the Conception as well as a safety zone of 1 mile on the water so other vessels cannot go near the area.
“We should all be prepared to move into the worst outcome,” said U.S. Coast Guard Captain Monica Rochester.
Rochester also reported usually there is an emergency escape hatch from the bottom sleeping quarters to the main deck in this type of vessel.
Conception is reported to have a one-foot portion of the bow sticking out of the water and is currently inverted in 60-62 feet of water with tides moving it around.
Agencies are discussing if it’s possible to tow the boat but have not made a final determination.
Watchstanders launched two Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crews, a Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco Forward Operating Base Mugu Dolphin MH-65 helicopter crew, a Coast Guard Air Station San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and the Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal.
A Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, a Forward Operating Base Mugu MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are on scene.
Investigative Agencies
A joint investigation is being conducted between local, state, and federal agencies that all have jurisdiction, said Sheriff Brown.
The Sheriff’s Office will serve as Coroner with help from outside agencies, disaster and emergency response is on scene from a state level, and federal agencies from NTSB, FBI, and Coast Guard are also involved.
“Our primary concerns are victims and loved ones,” said Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley. Santa Barbara County shares legal jurisdiction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, both will be monitoring the investigation.
The crew was interviewed by Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Coast Guard, but information surrounding these interviews have not been released.
Captain Rochester from the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed annual inspections show Conception was in full compliance.
Family Assitance Center
A Family Assistance Center has been set up at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara in Warren Hall. Family, friends, and loved ones of those affected by this incident will be able to receive information, support, resources, and mental health counseling. Members of local clergy, Chaplains, Hospice, Red Cross, emergency personnel, and more will be able to provide services.
It will be open until 9:00 p.m. Monday and will reopen on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. The center will remain open until Thursday or as long as it’s needed. Additionally, a family assistance number has been established at (833) 688-5551 or (800) 400-1572.
Update by edhat staff
Four bodies have been recovered from the fire aboard the 75-foot diving boat Conception that took place early Monday morning.
Five crew members were rescued and there are still 30 people missing. The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to search for survivors or additional bodies.
It’s suspected that an organization named “Worldwide Diving Adventures” had chartered Conception for a tour of the Northern Channel Islands during Labor Day weekend. The company’s business address is based out of Twin Bridges, CA and charges $665 for the weekend excursion. The event website encouraged all divers to purchase Divers Alert Network Dive Accident Insurance.
Audio from the Conception mayday call answered by a Los Angeles Coast Guard dispatcher provides little insight into what happened on the boat, according to CNN. The dispatcher questioned the crew member who made the call about whether passengers were locked onboard the vessel.
The dispatcher can also be heard asking if they could back onboard and unlock the boat, if there was an escape hatch for any of the people onboard, and if there was firefighting equipment onboad.
“You don’t have any firefighting gear at all? No fire extinguishers or anything?” the Coast Guard dispatcher asked according to audio on Broadcastify. The crewmember’s responses are inaudible.
The five crew members were all reportedly awake on the deck and jumped off the boat to safety where they were rescued by a Good Samaritan, Grape Escape.
The owner of Grape Escape was apparently awoken by the sound of someone beating on his boat and found the crew members near a rubber dingy.
A Family Assistance Center has been set up at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara for family and friends of those on board. Anyone who needs more information can contact SB County OEM at805-696-1188.
A press conference is scheduled to take place at 4:00 p.m. where additional details will be added to this article.
Update by edhat staff
The U.S. Coast Guard stated in a press conference 34 people are missing or unaccounted as search and rescue recovery efforts are currently underway.
There was a total of 39 people on board with 34 people sleeping below deck and 5 crew members. The Coast Guard confirmed the five crew members were awake at the time of the fire and jumped from the boat before being rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel named Grape Escape.
The Coast Guard confirmed the Conception boat was anchored 20 yards off Platt’s Harbor on the northside of Santa Cruz island. The shoreline of the island is being searched for any survivors.
The Coast Guard confirmed the Conception vessel was in full safety compliance and the owner/operator is on scene planning for further assistance.
Presently the Coast Guard has full efforts in a response phase, also known as search and rescue. There is no additional information of rescue divers in the water. The Coast Guard also did not confirm an explosion but only stated a mayday call was received about the vessel being engulfed in flames.
A family assistance center is being set up with Santa Barbara County services.
Update by edhat staff
The 75-foot commercial diving vessel Conception has now sunk 20 yards offshore in 64 feet of water while firefighters were tackling the blaze, reports the U.S. Coast Guard.
Five people were evacuated aboard a good Samaritan pleasure craft Great Escape. Two of those rescued have leg injuries. Currently, 33 people aboard the vessel are unaccounted for.
Watchstanders launched two Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crews, a Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco Forward Operating Base Mugu Dolphin MH-65 helicopter crew, a Coast Guard Air Station San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and the Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal.
The vessel currently has a portion of the bow sticking out of the water.
The Conception left Santa Barbara’s Harbor on Saturday for a three-day diving trip and was scheduled to return Monday afternoon.
Ventura County Fire Capt. Brian McGrath reported there are fatalities aboard, but the numbers are not yet known. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s coroner office is preparing for the possibility of a mass casualty incident.
Foggy weather conditions affected numerous recuse attempts. Rescue officials were on Santa Cruz Island looking for survivors.
The Conception boat has a bunk capacity of 46 people maximum with 13 double bunks and 20 single bunks. The bunks are “open berthing with pillows, blankets, curtains, and reading lights and dressing room is located in bunkroom,” according to Truth Aquatics website. A layout of the boat is provided below.
The boat reportedly has rafts and life-jackets for 110 passengers.
By edhat staff
A Santa Barbara-based diving boat caught fire early Monday morning off Santa Cruz Island with over 30 people missing.
Multiple fatalities are expected.
The 75’ Conception, was anchored just off the north side Santa Cruz Island when the U.S. Coast Guard and Ventura County Fire Department responded to a reported fire around 3:28 a.m.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported more than 30 people were in distress as the vessel was on fire. A group of crew members has been rescued, one with minor injuries, as the efforts continue to evacuate the remaining passengers.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department reported 5 people were rescued and 34 are missing. According to reports, the 5 crew members were able to escape because they were in the main hull while the 34 passengers were below the deck.
“The report we got was they were trapped by the fire. The fire was so intense that even after it was put out, we’re not able to actually embark the vessel and, you know, look for survivors at this point. It’s still ongoing,” said Coast Guard Senior Chief Aaron Bemis to CNN.
Several photos from these agencies show the popular diving boat that regularly explores the Santa Barbara Channel completely engulfed in flames.
Santa Barbara County Fire Department received a mayday call of a vessel in distress off the Channel Islands at 3:30 a.m. local time but does not have assets involved in the rescue.
Those onboard the Conception were scheduled to meet at the Santa Barbara Harbor on Friday night to board anytime after 8:00 p.m. The online itinerary states it was scheduled to depart at 4:00 a.m. Saturday and then return Monday afternoon around 5:00 p.m., according to Truth Aquatics, the website for the diving company.
However, it’s unclear if this was the specific itinerary for this charter as Truth Aquatics owns three boats: Vision, Conception, and Truth.
“On the Labor Day trip, divers have the unique opportunity to explore the pinnacles of San Miguel Island,” Truth Aquatics said on its website. “The beginning of September is the best time to be at San Mig, which see strong winds and swell during much of the year.”
The company’s website said the crew was using the Conception this weekend to visit San Miguel where divers were expecting to see a variety of interesting sea life.
MarineTraffic.com shows the route the Conception took after leaving Santa Barbara.
More information will be added to this article as soon as it is available.
So very true. Horrible comments are being written on national sites. I hope family members are not reading these. So very sad how people hiding behind the anonymity of a keyboard can make such outrageous comments and claims on subjects they know absolutely nothing about. They don’t seem care who they hurt. I wonder how they would feel if this poison was directed at them?
No 2nd Exit? Sounds very unsafe and another good reason to avoid boats. – Besides sea sickness. – Such a very tragic outcome for what I imagine was a wonderful vacation for family and/or friends. I just can’t imagine the grief to come for family, friends and survivors.
A montecito FB site mentionedcthis may be the organization that booked the charter. Owner possibly onboard as well. http://www.worldwidedivingadventures.com/events/labor-day-weekend/?fbclid=IwAR2GB_x3OCcZHFp7HjtOQAz1KT1dO3KndVLhbmGtCUw1Gx5MJ3m3516Sdjo
Noozhawk.com has new details on 5 crew that got themselves to another boat
Horrible news and our deepest sympathy to the families and friends of those who died. Hopefully many survivors will be located who suffered through this catastrophe. I don’t dive, but I have spent many a day on the ocean fishing both locally, long-range out of San Diego, Hawaii, the Bahamas, and elsewhere. I’ve walked around the deck of the Conception a few times in the past when it’s been moored in front of Sea Landing. And I’ve encountered boat wreckage (HTN- “Hazards To Navigation”) offshore a few times. It’s always unsettling and gives a person a haunted feeling. Commercial vessels are some of the safest places one can be due to strict Coast Guard regular inspections and other regulations that govern watercraft. But this is a reminder that one should live life to the fullest every moment because we all realize eventually life ends, sometimes in unpredictable and terrible ways such as this, weather on land, sea, or sky.
Noozhawk as no additional information, in fact they have less and very insensitive photos of victims bodies being brought to shore. Shame on them!
SHAME on KEYT (John Palminteri) and Noozhawk and any other media for posting photos of victims bodies arriving at our harbor. That is disgusting!
Agreed. Local families will be horrified if they see that.
Does anyone feel like me – sick to my stomach over this and at the same time wondering why I keep refreshing news sites like the outcome is going to be any different than that the people tragically died? I love the internet but I feel like I have a succumbed to a sickness. I think of myself as mindful and yet I keep scrolling. If you are feeling like me, let’s put our phones or iPads down and just take a moment to calm and breathe.
I feel sick. My heart aches for the families and friends of the deceased. I feel equally as bad for the Fritzler family (owners of Truth Aquatics) as they must be feel beyond devastated. I don’t like to compare tragedies but this is just as bad the montecito mudslide, these people had no warning & no chance to escape. 30+ dead!? I still can’t wrap my head around that and keep praying for survivors but deep down I know the odds are not good.
Someone said we will all know someone who has a connection directly or indirectly. Whoa. I have an indirect insight. A fellow seaman who knew and was mentored by the Captain of the Conception. It verifies this was a tragic accident. My friend’s description of the Captain was one of a great seaman. Someone with knowledge and the sense and wisdom of an extremely competent sailor. It was full of love, admiration, respect, and empathy at how powerlessness a very smart Captain was over the situation. This comes from a person who has crewed this vessel years ago.
There is an inside theory from people who know the boat. At the center of the sleeping quarters there is/was a charging station for laptops, cell phones etc. It may well be an overheated battery same as aviation disasters. It was a wood hull if it makes any difference but mostl hullss are made of flammable materials that would be extremely toxic while burning. It will be interesting to see what the NTSB will find. Guess nautical and aeronautical should and do learn from each other. RIP and sympathies to all affected.
Prayers for all but especially the Captain who is probably one of the most pained people on the planet.
Smoke detectors save lives.
The boat plan makes it look like there’s tons of room to move around below deck, when there is barely enough room to walk.
4 bodies have been spotted at the bottom of the ocean. The first four apparently drowned?
With all due respect to those involved in this terrible accident, both deceased and surviving, I have read a lot of stupid, uninformed comments from people responding about this tragedy on various websites. Without knowing the full details yet to be revealed, I’d just like to make clear a few things about ocean-going vessels such as this so ignorant people can’t make and spread incorrect, dumb comments. First, the victims were not “locked inside the boat”. This is/was a commercial dive boat with below-deck bunks for the paying passengers and full Coast Guard required fire extinguishers, life vests, life rafts, emergency procedures, and regular safety inspections. I am not a diver, but have walked on the boat before and toured it when it was moored at Sea Landing in Santa Barbara. Obviously something catastrophic happened to start the fire and cause the reported explosions, which quickly enveloped the ship. Second, it is unlikely to have been started by some passenger smoking a cigarette below deck; smoking is prohibited by the Coast Guard and boat operators in below-deck bunks, staterooms, heads, or other places. Third, the engines on these boats do not run on “gasoline” they are diesel engines that run (duh) on diesel fuel, which is far less prone to ignition and explosion than gasoline, but it can ignite and explode when it vaporizes, which probably happened in this tragic accident. I assume there was compressed oxygen on board for the dive tanks and O2 administration, which could have mixed with the fumes, creating a rapid fire and explosions. Fourth, the boat not “overloaded” with 33 passengers aboard; it was licensed for 46 . Fifth, I believe there was only one stairwell to the main deck, which would have prevented quick escape unless through the required emergency hatches. Lastly, it is probable there was propane on the boat for the grill and “built-in” bar- b- que. I hope these comments help understand the nature of Coast Guard certified commercial vessels and, again, the loss of lives is tragic regardless of how they occurred to these poor souls.
Smoke detectors save lives it’s true. Which is why the coast guard requires commercial vessels to have smoke detectors in sleeping quarters. There are periodic inspections same as a plane basically. This has been described as the kind of captain who checks the safety of the boat before setting sail. I don’t know. An active smoke detector should have solved this problem with a fire extinguisher. I guess we’ll have to wait. It is just speculation and gossip. The point is whether it’s this disaster or a shooting we all have a connection to someone in anguish. Thankfully we don’t see this situation often. Fact is boats do blow. But I predict a knee jerk reaction on the marine industry while Nothing is done on guns.
FYI – KEYT news conference keeps failing on mobile devices and there is zero livestream on FB. They need to upgrade their digital game. Same issues as 2017/2018 still not addressed. Hoping they allocate resources so the community can benefit and access info during important times like this.
During the mayday call, the captian clearly stated that there were no escape hatches for the passengers to escape through. That is a fact.
They said they had them, it was either a flash fire or an explosion. the crew was awake when it happened so why mention some thing entirely irrelevant. The negativity and false accusations here is sickening.
MRTRUMP, most ocean-going diving, sportfishing, and other Coast Guard licensed vessels have one, possibly two, small narrow stairwells, usually leading through the galley area. They also have emergency hatches for escape should the stairwell(s) be blocked. That is the nature of these boats, whether they are 50 feet long or 115 feet long. Please don’t make ignorant comments about things you seemingly have no knowledge of.
I’m sorry but are you familiar with maritime firefighting or maritime law? I thought bit. Just an attempt to discuss your gun agenda while the community is recovering the dead. Just stop it.
Per the news conference, 39 ppl total with 33 guests and 6 crew which means one person missing is a crew member.
Couldn’t hear any smoke alarms in the background of the audio recording of the mayday call.
During the mayday call, the captian clearly stated that there were no escape hatches. The audio of that mayday call is on youtube.
SB Sheriff Office transitioning to take over the event. Twitter link below:
https://mobile.twitter.com/sbsheriff/status/1168610804893024256?fbclid=IwAR2KhHiGtyVxmecJbktZZAN0W0H_TGf82n1p9eVNpMgGMBCqHOO0If41FCc
First, I suggest you quit reading all the responses because you cannot keep “ignorant” or “stupid” comments at bay. Second, there is a new site reporting that the 911 operator was clearly asking the caller if the passengers were locked inside and if the person could get back to the boat to unlock the door. Third, several reports said they suspect a galley (kitchen fire) on the 2nd level started the fire. Fourth, almost all five boats store the dive tanks on the top deck outside. So basically you have sort of added to the ignorant comments here and possibly why you got a down vote.
Sport Divers don’t breathe “OXYGEN” in their SCUBA tanks… It’s pressurized atmospheric “air” which is usually compressed from 2250psi-4000psi.
Would you be able to hear them if they had already melted off the ceiling?
You’re LYING.
The crew member did not say that, the Coast Guard dispatcher stated it as an interrogatory. The Crewmember’s transmissions were not intelligible. This nonsense about the passengers being locked in, also a dispatcher mistake. Listen to the transmission, you hear almost nothing. The crew member could have said “blocked”, and been misunderstood as “locked.” Be quiet and stop condemning people who have been traumatized badly when you don’t know the story.
Yes it’s a fact that he said that but is it an actual fact that there was no hatch? It’s was 3AM and he was in shock. I’m hearing from previous passengers that there is a hatch that has no lock or latch though it may have been inaccessible due to flames/smoke etc. That’s the most I’m willing to speculate since none of us really know what happened other than the fact people are dead, families are destroyed and our community is yet again rocked by tragedy. That’s all that matters at this point.
Possibly a propane leak pooling badly near fuel and igniting and then flashing off the fuel in a contained area would be a devastatingly fast and powerful event. Definitely had me reviewing my propane system on board my boat. Please don’t assume the crew was either the cause or could have assisted once the explosion/fire occurred. No one knows at this point, I doubt they crew even know. Anyone out there on the water, let’s all try and learn what we can from this terrible tragedy to keep ourselves and others safe.
What a very sad outcome to a fun 3 day diving trip. A couple interviewed on TV said the survivors came to their boat, pounded on their hull and they picked up the guys and used their radio to call in a May Day call. RIP to all the divers who are basically lost at sea. Condolences to all the families involved.
Both the L.A Times and our local Noozhawk are reporting that the “no escape hatches” comment was made by the ship’s captain. In fact here’s the exact quote from the Noozhawk article – ” ‘ There’s no escape hatch for any of the people on board’ the man (captain) tells the Coast Guard”. That’s a fact.
The mayday call was made on a boat 300 feet away.
Another ones jumps in knowing nothing…they have nitrox on board… 6 bucks extra per tank…as a scuba diver I know what it is. Yes oxygen mixed with air, with 2 different %, one being 36% oxygen. The secondary explosions could likely been oxygen tanks.
This is very sad.
Very tragic, the only news covering it on TV is CNN. All of the other stations are on auto-pilot.
Other reposts state it was on a 3 day charter. A horrific event. Dive boats carry oxygen tanks. This local company has a long and sound history.
Agree, I find this to be a gut wrenching loss of life.
They are bringing the 5 rescued into Channel Islands Harbor.
This is so awful…just want to know when the news conferences are…Was home from work today..saw the Sheriff Brown conference, on KCAL 9…at 4:00
Do we not have a PIO, anymore ?
I feel 100% the same and did put my phone away for a while, then learned 4 bodies were found, then 4 more. The dark of night made me sad since it reduces the odds of finding more… I Will have to STOP looking for the night and try and find peace enough to sleep.
Channel 9 out of L.A., is on…
How absolutely horrific. Pray for all the survivors and relatives of those on board.
Is the Conception powered by diesel or gasoline? The latter is potentially dangerous in the enclosed spaces of a hull, if a leak developes or fumes accumulate. Hopefully we will learn exactly how this tragedy unfolded and can avoid similar events in the future. Very sad.
The boat has sunk, according to KCAL.
Info on bunk layout of vessel – https://www.truthaquatics.com/conception/
Sad
So horribly sad! Worst case scenario.
As a member of the commercial fishing community this is a horrific tragedy once again keyt has switched to regular programming instead of remaining on air and keeping our community informed “There when you need us”……….
Not the first time for a major channel disaster. Alaska airlines crash with no survivors. Worked that incident they brought in a special coroner who specialized in vaporized human remains…..gruesome but these people are dedicated to as thorough a recovery process as possible. Prayers to all and once again our first responders are there when we need them
Maybe, but facts and factual assertions cannot be denied. I actually called the hotline. Whoever answered happened to be an arson investigator who seemed like a light went off when the power bank theory was presented with the possibility that crew are too tired and traumatized to come up with what other professionals (who know the boat and crew) theorize. So the battery theory is out there and NTSB, the fire depts and everybody will know of the theory. The story I get is that this was the most professional Captain and crew and a most unpredictable disaster. Whatever sparked it is the cause. After that flammables do what they do.
KEYT is the worst. They were ineffective during Thomas Fire. During the mudslide they put a young reporter in the field who didn’t even know how to pronounce the street names and was clueless. They have minimal budget and are not really a fully staffed local channel. This is why most people immediately come here, turn to the scanners, go directly to montecito fire, noozhawk or independent. Those are the real news outlets. And just a note that it was Direct Relief that during Thomas Fire built an interactive map and kept ppl informed. AND it was a Santa Maria station that had the only reporter in the field and stationed. She was absolutely brace and amazing…. a real reporter and her boss/producer was on it with the reporting
Sorry I didn’t mean to politicize. This is an outright unavoidable accident. Nothing any law could stop. I know red right returning, I know port from starboard and I know to start a blower to keep a gasoline boat from exploding at start up. But I do see that immediately political investigations are starting on something that could put restrictions on commercial marine.
I am a sailor and very familiar with maritime law. Sorry I didn’t mean to politicize. This is an outright unavoidable accident. Nothing any law could stop. I know red right returning, I know port from starboard and I know to start a blower to keep a gasoline boat from exploding at start up. But I do see that immediately political investigations are starting on something that could put restrictions on commercial marine.
Can’t defend myself. I’m an idiot. I submit.
Just FYI: KEYT was on the air reporting the story during their early news starting at 5 am this morning. Edhat did not report the story until 8:39 am.
I also find this horrifying but what else are they to do? There is nothing new to report until they pull bodies from the boat, if there are even bodies left. Ugh hurts to think that’s the case but it probably is. So horribly awful and sad!
How are 34 people supposed to escape out of a 2×2 “hatch” in the dark, in smoke, and in a panic? Even small buses are required to have at least 1 push out emergency exit window on each side of the bus, each window having at least 8 square feet of area. That’s in addition to the buses’ service door.
What about smoke detectors on board? I also thought crew members took turns staying awake at night. This looks really intense. I’m so sorry to all the families who lost loved ones.
The boat is diesel fueled. No gasoline fumes. My bet is the fire started in the galley.
That would not help much if there was an explosion (dive boat means many many oxygen tanks on board). It takes only seconds to pass out from smoke inhalation, especially in an enclosed space with only one narrow exit.
Many, many compressed air cylinders, not O2! (previous post…) Only emergency O2 and not much. Propane gas leak? Forensic analysis of the cause is complicated by the sinking. Hopefully the crew can testify.
Yes they advertised this trip as having nitrox available as is usual for longer trips.
KEYT has slipped to 3rd chair in the news band these days as the info from EdHat, Noozhawk & other online outlets + CNN & the LA stations is far more reliable, current & consistent sans drop off & amateur hour-type reporting from people other than The Palm & Tracy Lehr.
The Coast Guard did say at the news conference that that they had found no survivors along the coastline or nearby beach just west of Platts Harbor.
From the sounds of it, there was an escape hatch in the galley, which was not accessible given the location of the fire.
Lucky for us there a multiple news agencies that we can get information from easily so we don’t need to fight over which coverage sucks the worst. This is going to be devastating for the central coast community as invariably everyone is going to know someone that is somehow connected to this tragedy. I hope that those that died did so quickly while still asleep with just dreams of their past few days of adventures.
Extremely sad. I hope they find some survivors still but it sounds like no one was able to escape from below decks. On a 3 day trip the berthing area would have been full of luggage and personal belonging, and some of the dive gear. The tanks are stored on deck along the railing with slots and straps to secure them.
Resist speculation. Let the facts come out. RIP to those who were lost, and thank you to first responders for a sometimes very tough job.
AP is now reporting that 25 have been recovered with 9 still missing.
Absolutely devastating. My heart is broken.
Agree! Such a devastating event, so sad for everyone.
KEYT is in dire need of a complete overhaul from top to bottom. They still display outdated images of the news people, play the same, tired music & never seem to desire to change it up and get with the current times of cutting edge news reporting. Ownership must be satisfied with the old look.
And the armchair quarterbacks are already coming out to criticize. What has social media done to people with low IQs in our country. There are already trolls on the truth Facebook page writing BS I’m criticism and making accusations for which there is no proof. People from out of state wanting to make a joke.
R.I.P. to all those lost on this tragic accident. Condolences to family, friends and the Truth Aquatics family who have served the diving community so well over the years. Thoughts to the first responders and investigators who will have to deal with the aftermath.
Exactly. They probably literally passed out from the smoke and never even knew what happened. Love to all who are affected by this awful tragedy
Go to KEYT.com
At the 11:00 am update they said they have recovered 4 bodies and that the boat was chartered with a group from up north.
Oh my. This is just awful to think of how these people died. The Conception has been a part of our community for decades. Just about a month ago we did a similar excursion on the sister boat Truth and slept in those same bunks below the water line. I do hope a clear cause can be discovered and measures can be taken so that this will never happen again.
You are wrong- Santa Barbara harbor- right behind the Sea Landing.
Yep, just watched it on KCAL the announcers are there and loading up their cameras to leave. They might be back at 4:00.
Did this boat use propane for cooking? Reports are the crew was preparing breakfast when the fire started. The crew was quickly overwhelmed by the fire. This boat was diesel powered, so there was no gasoline vapors to ignite. The only exit out of the lower berth areas was through a small, narrow stairway that exited into the galley area. How could such a narrow, limited excape route be allowed? What government agency was responsible for inspecting the boat and its operations?
As stated elsewhere here, hopefully those lost fell asleep and knew nothing more….. May they Rest In Peace.
It was just announced that the victims found so far had conditions consistent with drowning.
Zero. It’s human nature to speculate and converse after a tragedy such as this. Everyone is in shock at the moment. This is a very devastating event for the community. People grieve in different ways. Very sad.
After watching today’s press release, I had some thoughts. 1-The sheriff did a good job, whether you like him or not. 2- The US Coast Guard spokeswoman (Captain Rochester) did also. 3- There are many comments on this thread that are way off base. And many are because of false and sensationalized news reports. I heard a question addressed to Sheriff Brown about the state of mind of the people involved in the search/rescue/recovery efforts. Wow. This tragedy has put a cloud on most of the people I have talked to about it.
Didn’t the passengers all purchase insurance? I know I read that it was offered to them before sailing.
RIP to the victims of this terrible tragedy. I would also like to thank all of the graduates of the Twitter School of Admiralty, and the Facebook Academy of Accident Investigation who’ve posted here on Edhat for enlightening me about what happened with your speculation, innuendo, conjecture and uninformed opinions. I have learned a lot from you, if you define “a lot” as “absolutely nothing.”
10:00 a.m. today.
Thank you AlexBlue for your cogent response. You are absolutely correct. Some of the negative and speculative comments here are so ugly. God, people can be insensitive. How about we wait to hear all the facts. And in the meantime pray for the victims and their families.
The comments in this thread prove – without an ounce of doubt, that the internet brings out the absolute worst in people from the very worst people.
An article in this morning’s WaPo says one of the survivors told the Hansens aboard the Grape Escape that one of the clients was a 17-year old. Also, one of the crew members broke his leg after jumping from the bridge to the deck. Strangely, the Conception was the boat that was stolen and taken for a joy ride before going aground in 2005 ………. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/02/missing-after-boat-fire-near-national-park-california-coast/
You’re NOT an idiot, Katie.
Dear God. Words fail. Cried all day yesterday, still crying. Our son and his girlfriend are Scuba divers. Over 1,500 dives between them. We’ve seen them leave on many a trip, usually San Diego, some locally. Happiness evident in the shining eyes and on the faces of all the members of these groups of eager, nature loving people. My heart is with these beautiful people, lost to us, their grieving families and friends.
Yes. Quite ill. Yesterday I tried putting down all devices but it did not work. Started streaming 10 movies – none lasting more than 15 minutes! Moving and attending to the “need to” chores helps…………. cannot get those beautiful faces out of my mind….
Do you know anything at all about boats? You can’t create foolproof systems for every possible disaster. It’s simply not possible. What happened was a terrible tragedy and possibly it could have been prevented, the facts simply aren’t in yet.
It’s likely that Noozhawk is mis-reporting this claim of the person on the radio saying there are no escape hatches. Listen to the audio of the mayday call. The dispatcher is posing questions which don’t make a lot of sense. Maybe you have heard an audio where the mayday caller makes the statement, the call I listened to did not contain that nor does the transcript. If you have heard it, please link to it. The problem is that there is misinformation out there in the press based on the dispatcher’s inaccurate interrogatories such as CNN reporting implying that the passengers were locked in. Apparently, on that boat, it’s not possible to lock that door.
See my above comment, likely mis-reported based on their reading of the incorrect questions posed by the dispatcher and the unintelligible response. An, if it WERE a fact that the mayday issuer stated this, why would they, as in fact there was an aft hatch, as you yourself point out. Uses your logical brain and don’t spread misinformation. I have no idea what your motivation is to do this.
the magnitude of tragedy this county has had to deal with over the last few years (going back to UCSB shooting) is unparalleled for its size. some major major events have come our way, it’s really unfortunate.
How dare ANY of you sit there and claim to know any facts about this tragedy. These comments make me sick.
at 11:00am – then where should we get our news on this tragedy? Please leave the “fake news” political BS out of this. We don’t need your kind here.
Here’s the entire audio. Listen to it.
Here is link to Fox News video re: Bob and Shirley Hansen of the Grape Escape———https://kmph.com/news/local/couple-from-madera-rescues-5-crew-members-from-deadly-dive-boat-fire
Here’s a very important fact reported by the News-Press: 2 years ago Conception was re-powered (new engines) through a grant from the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) Innovative Technology Group Program. In years past, several boats have caught fire and lost engine power due to faulty engines purchased through state and local re-power programs. Warnings were issued that marine re-power programs are a threat to human life. If this disaster was caused by an engine fire, then the county government may be liable.
Excellent new article from an independent new source. Truth Aquatics is an incredible company with generous hearts which have benefited many organizations. They have rescued countless animals working with the wildlife care network. https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/news/2019/09/03/-i-m-numb—boat-owner-on-deadly-fire-near-santa-cruz-island?fbclid=IwAR0BKd-a6rlWt33_F2UOPYYeSkrOrf9Lm05Zkh6C4jTdZ0yc8SURCMfXxPw
This may not apply to you, but for those of us who are boat owners and spend time on the water, it is important to look at tragedies like this and try and learn from them. For me, thinking about what could have happened and then applying that to the systems on my boat to be better prepared and achieve a higher level of safety for myself, friends and family is important. It’s had me looking at installing an engine room fire suppression system, my LP system, my fire extinguishers, etc.. Perhaps you have learned nothing, I have.
It is pretty common for people to try and find a reason for a tragedy to reassure themselves that maybe they could avoid the same fate in their lives. I just figured the speculation was due to this and didn’t take it as offensive. These things thankfully don’t happen very often but when they do it is distressing for everyone. Everybody processes grief in their own way.
i posted a similar comment and observation and that was deleted. this is really starting to make me look elsewhere for local news and commentary. Edhat is becoming a one sided joke as far as comments go. if you’re not complaining enough or going against the grain, it gets downvoted by bitter people and deleted. cool. i’ll move on over to noozhawk. i have personal ties to this situation and explained that the comments from some people on this thread were disgusting and wrong. oh well. guess my opinion doesn’t count here.
What happened? There was a catastrophic fire on board which killed thirty four people. Don’t be snide or sarcastic, it’s ugly. How did it happen? I don’t know. What have I learned? I have learned that, regardless of the cause of the fire on the Conception, through reviewing my systems and procedures, I have been lax with my propane system. I have changed that. I have learned more about engine room fire suppression systems, and am now considering installing one on my boat. I am addressing some nagging concerns about my electrical, which hasn’t been a clear danger but in the back of my mind, I had some questions. Regarding LI battery charging, I don’t think the is a real issue on my vessel as any charging would take place in the salon, above decks and not near any potential fuel source should they catch fire. So, I’m trying to take something from this tragedy that will make my vessel safer, I don’t see how that’s the wrong thing to do.