Efforts finish to find debris, cause of fire still unknown

A deadly fire on a commercial diving vessel on the southern coast of California killed 33 passengers and one crew member Monday morning. Investigators have not determined what started the fire.



There is no reason to believe this was anything but an accident.

Accident on the Water

The fire erupted early Monday morning, while the boat was anchored in Platts Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, roughly 90 miles west of Los Angeles. The Coast Guard overheard a mayday call at 3:30AM local time Monday, saying the boat was engulfed in flames. The 75-foot commercial vessel, Conception, owned by Truth Aquatics, was scheduled to return to Santa Barbara from a weekend Labor Day cruise that morning, but never made it.



In a press conference Tuesday, authorities reported that the remains of 20 victims were recovered, including 11 females and 9 males. Approximately four to six bodies were discovered in the wreckage but were unable to be recovered by nightfall. Fourteen victims remain missing. The boat had six crew members and 33 passengers total.



US Coast Guard Capt. Monica Rochester said the search was suspended because no one else was seen entering the water. An aircraft scanning the area didn’t see any other signs of debris or distress. The roughly 24-hour search operation consisted of seven missions and three helicopter crews, covering 160 miles.



Remember the Lost

Bob Hansen, owner of the Grape Escape, said he and his wife Shirley were asleep when they heard the 5 crew members banging on the side of their boat, and quickly helped them to safety. The crew members were in shock and several in tears, Hansen said. “The flames are probably 30 feet high,” he told USA TODAY of the boat fire. “This is probably one of those things you cannot unsee.” The couple tended to the crew members, who had jumped into the chilly water with just underwear on, providing them with clothes and blankets.



Three sisters, their father and stepmother were all unaccounted for after the fire, according to their mother, Susana Solano Rosas, from a post on Facebook, according to accounts that emerged as authorities worked to identify the dead. “The majority of the people on this trip appeared to have been from the Santa Cruz-San Jose-Bay Area region,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said at a press conference Tuesday.



Two students from Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz and the parents of one were also aboard, according to an email sent by head of school Maria Reitano. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the families of the victims and those yet missing, particularly those of our students and parents on board,” Reitano wrote in a statement. “Right now, our priority as a school community is to support our students, staff, and families in the wake of this tragedy.”



A 41-year-old marine biologist may also have perished from this accident, a strong-willed and adventurous young woman, respected for her passion for the earth. “What were we doing with our lives?” she wrote prior to her departure. “Dragging your feet is no way to climb a mountain; holding your breath is no way to dive.”



Recovery with Technology

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office is one of several government agencies assisting in rescue and recovery efforts of those affected by the boat fire. Kimberly Gin, spokesperson for the coroner’s office, said the agency was asked to help because of its expertise in rapid DNA identification. They will be able to link victim DNA to family DNA with the same machine that they used during the Butte fires.

Investigators did not immediately share with the public information about what may have caused the fire. They said the boat was compliant with all regulations and was compliant in received annual inspections. There is no reason to believe this was anything but an accident.