A fire broke out on the boat – at that moment the crew members and passengers were sleeping.
The captain of the Conception boat, on board which killed 34 people, was found guilty of negligence. The tragedy occurred during a fire – passengers and crew members were burned alive while sleeping below deck.
The BBC writes about this.
As noted, a fire on the boat broke out on the morning of September 2, 2019. At this point, the Conception was moored in Platte Harbor near Santa Cruz Island, south of Santa Barbara. He hosted a diving expedition over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
At some point, a fire broke out on the deck, at that moment the crew members and passengers were sleeping.
Boat captain Gerry Boylan was among five crew members who managed to escape the flames on the 23-metre vessel. They escaped by jumping overboard and swimming to another ship nearby.
Crew members told investigators that the flames were too intense to save those trapped in the passenger areas. And the tragedy could have been avoided if fire drills were regularly conducted and a security guard on board.
As the jury found, this tragedy could have been avoided if Mr. Boylan had simply carried out his duties. We hope today’s verdict brings some comfort to the victims’ loved ones,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
Jerry Boylan, 69, was found guilty of one count of “sailor manslaughter” after a 10-day trial in Los Angeles. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Let us remind you that off the coast of California on the night of September 2 there was a fire on a small private vessel. 34 people died in the fire.
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