Oh, Lord

[Elessar]

This really sucks. 30 people missing after a dive boat caught fire off Santa Cruz island:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/people-killed-boat-fire-california-santa-cruz-island

[Kathianne]

This really sucks. 30 people missing after a dive boat caught fire off Sanat Cruz island:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/people-killed-boat-fire-california-santa-cruz-island
Fire is the big fear, even on smaller boats.

[Elessar]

A huge response effort:

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/25c8dd9

[Kathianne]

So sad:

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/09/02/dozens-missing-charter-boat-fire-off-ventura-county-coastline-santa-cruz-island/


At Least 4 Dead, 30 Missing In Charter Boat Fire Off Ventura County Coast
September 2, 2019 at 1:35 pmF



VENTURA (CBSLA) – Five people were rescued, at least four people were killed and another 30 remain missing after a blaze broke out on a charter boat early Monday morning directly off Santa Cruz Island, across from the Ventura County coastline. Authorities confirmed there are fatalities, although the exact number is unknown.




At 3:15 a.m., the U.S. Coast Guard and Ventura County Fire Department crews rushed to a mayday call that the “Conception,” a 75-foot-long charter dive boat carrying 39 people, was ablaze 20 yards off Platts Harbor on the north side of Santa Cruz Island, which is located about 30 miles west of the city of Ventura.


“I can’t breathe!” a member of the crew can be heard screaming in the mayday call obtained by CBS2. There was no word on what may have sparked the blaze.




All five crew members aboard were rescued by a passing good Samaritan boat called the “Grape Escape,” while 34 passengers remain unaccounted for. The crew members jumped off the burning boat, Coast Guard Capt. Monica Rochester told reporters at a news briefing from Channel Islands Harbor.


“The crew was actually already awake and on the bridge and they jumped off,” Rochester said.


The passengers were all below deck at the time.


“The report I received is they (the passengers) were below deck asleep,” Rochester said.


Ventura County Fire crews battled the blaze, but the boat eventually sank in 64 feet of water, about 20 yards offshore.


Just before 11 a.m., the Coast Guard told the Associated Press that four bodies had been recovered near the burned-out boat, leaving 30 people unaccounted for.


As of noon, the Coast Guard was scouring the area with choppers and boats for any possible survivors who had managed to jump off the Conception or made it to the shore.


At around 7:30 a.m., one of the surviving crew members was seen being boated in to Channel Island Harbor by rescuers and then placed into an ambulance to be taken to a hospital. He appeared to have suffered a leg injury. It’s unclear if the man was a crew member or one of the divers.


CBS2 has confirmed Conception is owned by Truth Aquatics, a boat rental service based out of Santa Barbara. It was built in Long Beach and first launched in 1981. According to Truth Aquatics’ website, Conception has a maximum capacity of 46 people. The company would not immediately comment on the incident when reached by CBS2. The charter appeared to have been booked by a group called Worldwide Diving Adventures.


Experienced diver and CBS2 employee Darla Fletcher, who has taken several diving trips with Truth Aquatics, explained that the divers’ quarters on the boat are below deck and very cramped.


“Typically, the crew members will sleep up top, they’re not gonna sleep down there with the divers,” Fletcher said. “Especially on a full boat like this weekend, there were probably divers filling every possible bunk.”

...

[Gunny]

If the Captain survived he may as well not have. He's going to be crucified. Rightly so based on the above. You leave your ship before the passengers and you can just hang it up.

[Elessar]

No immediate updates so far: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/25c95a3

[Elessar]

Updated: https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-boat-fire-25-dead-nine-missing

[hjmick]

As stated previously, still too early to know what exactly happened. But based on the schematics of the boat that I have seen, if it was a fire that started in the galley and got out of control, there was no way for the passengers to get out, their only exit was up some stairs and through the galley.

Everything I've read, and remember from living in the area for decades on knowing folks, indicates that the company Truth Aquatics, was always responsive and responsible when presented with findings from safety inspections.


Just a terrible, tragic accident... hopefully...

[Elessar]

Update: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/25cc3ad

Survivablity at this point was nil.

[hjmick]

As stated previously, still too early to know what exactly happened. But based on the schematics of the boat that I have seen, if it was a fire that started in the galley and got out of control, there was no way for the passengers to get out, their only exit was up some stairs and through the galley.

Everything I've read, and remember from living in the area for decades on knowing folks, indicates that the company Truth Aquatics, was always responsive and responsible when presented with findings from safety inspections.


Just a terrible, tragic accident... hopefully...


I was mistaken, apparently the was a hatch above a set of the bunks that provided egress from the sleeping quarters to the salon deck, which included the galley. If the fire started in the galley and spread quickly, then I would imagine this escape hatch was useless...

Once the fire started, it was too late for many on board the Conception (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/once-the-fire-started-it-was-too-late-for-many-on-board-the-conception/ar-AAGKh1j?li=BBnb7Kz)

[Elessar]

I always hated cases like that, but except for Alaska Air 261, never had a boat case like this.
Most I recall was 6 people, and we got them all alive.

[Kathianne]

Moved OT posts to cage.

[Elessar]

Search for survivors was suspended last evening.

That is one of the hardest decisions a Commanding Officer has to make.

Been there dozens of times. One always has to wonder 'what if'?