CA - Boat fire near Santa Cruz Island; 34 missing, Sept 2019 *captain charged*

[PommyMommy]

Live updates: Boat fire near Santa Cruz Island, California - CNN

34 missing in boat fire off California coast
Updated 10:45 a.m. ET, September 2, 2019

What we know now

• A 75-foot dive boat is on fire off the coast of Southern California in the Channel Islands National Park.
• At least 34 people are missing. Five people have been rescued, according to the Coast Guard.
• There are "numerous fatalities," according to Bill Nash of Ventura County PIO.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

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.

"It's a 75-foot commercial dive vessel that reportedly had 39 people on board. The five crew members able to disembark because they were in the main cabin. The 34 passengers were below decks," Bemis added."

Live updates: Boat fire near Santa Cruz Island, California - CNN

 

[BeachSky]

34 people feared dead after boat catches fire off California's Santa Cruz Island: officials

Fox affiliate KTTV earlier confirmed there were nearly three dozen fatalities, but Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr Matthew Kroll told Fox News the 34 people were unaccounted for from a commercial diving ship. The captain of the boat was helping with the rescue. Four other people were rescued. Lt. Cmdr Kroll later confirmed the ship sunk near the north shore of Santa Cruz Island after taking on water.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Before fire screen cap of boat

 

[ClockworkLemon]

How horrific.

 

[IceIce9]

Fox News reporting that the 34 passengers sleeping below deck are the casualties. Five crew members above deck survived.

 

[BeachSky]

Live updates: Boat fire near Santa Cruz Island, California - CNN

They were only 20 yards off shore


"We're still holding hope that someone may have swam to shore. When they anchor overnight they're pretty close to shore. We have to hope, but we plan for worst case scenario," Eliason said.

 

[Inthedetails]

The fire must have been instantly intense, imo, with no escape possible.
Terrifying.
jmo

 

[imstilla.grandma]

It appears those missing were sleeping below deck when the fire broke out and might not have gotten out. Authorities said they got word of the fire from a mayday call around 3:30 a.m. The Coast Guard and some private vessels responded.

“The vessel currently has a portion of the bow sticking out of the water,” the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Family members of those who took the charter are now desperate for word about their loved ones, some gathering at the Ventura Harbor.

At the charter operator, a spokesman said he could not comment and was awaiting information about the fire from the U.S. Coast Guard.

At Santa Barbara Harbor, employees said they could not comment on the fire and are still waiting to hear from the Coast Guard. Employees were hugging each other as tourists and people going fishing were boarding the Truth boat.
California boat fire: The charter promised a Labor Day diving adventure. Then disaster struck

 

[TTF14]

The fire must have been instantly intense, imo, with no escape possible.
Terrifying.
jmo

Wow, yeah I'll say!

I know nothing about diving.....would this be a recreational/vacation type vessel? Is it deep sea diving?

ETA: Nevermind....answered.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The U.S. Coast Guard launched a rescue operation to save more than 30 people after a boat caught fire near Santa Cruz Island, Calif., early Monday.


"The vessel was reported as being on fire," the Coast Guard said in a tweet, adding that crew members working on the 75-foot boat have been rescued.

In an interview with Los Angeles TV station KTLA, Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Barney said two of the crew members had suffered minor leg injuries. He said that rescue agencies actively were searching for 32 passengers from the ship as well as a missing crew member, using both aircraft and surface ships, but that the effort was hampered by dense early morning fog.
U.S. Coast Guard Launches Rescue After Boat Catches Fire Off California

Twitter

 

[SeesSeas]

US Coast Guard provides an update on deadly California boat fire
Fox News
Streamed live 14 minutes ago
34 people feared dead after boat catches fire off California's Santa Cruz Island: officials

 

[BeachSky]

The fire must have been instantly intense, imo, with no escape possible.
Terrifying.
jmo

And you’re just exhausted at the end of the day coupled with the ocean rocking you into a deep sleep.
If it happened to any of them - I pray they never knew.


JMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Five people were evacuated on a good Samaritan pleasure craft, Great Escape, according to the agency. There are 34 people still unaccounted for.


The five people who were rescued were reportedly crew members, according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Barney. Two of them sustained leg injuries.

Crew members were already awake and were able to jump off the boat, according to U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Monica Rochester. Rescuers are conducting shoreline searches for any survivors.
California boat fire: 34 on weekend diving charter missing, 5 crew members rescued

 

[Inthedetails]

Wow, yeah I'll say!

I know nothing about diving.....would this be a recreational/vacation type vessel? Is it deep sea diving?

ETA: Nevermind....answered.

I'm thinking it was something like this?

Dive boat - Wikipedia

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[Inthedetails]

If the tourists were on a diving trip, would oxygen tanks be a factor in the fire?? IDK - just thinking aloud.

jmo

 

[PommyMommy]

PIX11 News on Twitter
Coast Guard responds to a boat on fire off Santa Cruz with over 30 people on board http://via.pix11.com/Ycbvz

6:43 AM - 2 Sep 2019

Roseanne Tellez on Twitter
First pictures of deadly boat fire in Ventura county California. Official say 34 lost off the coast of Santa Cruz Island.

6:34 AM - 2 Sep 2019

Jon Baird on Twitter
Authorities are conducting search-and-rescue off Santa Cruz Island. A dive boat called the “Conception” out of Santa Barbara reportedly caught fire. 5 rescued. 34 missing. The boat burned to the waterline. @KNX1070

6:57 AM - 2 Sep 2019

 

[imstilla.grandma]

USCG Los Angeles (@USCGLosAngeles) on Twitter


Rochester said the vessel was in "full compliance."

"We are working deliberately with the vessel owner/operator, who is with us at the time working on a plan to conduct further assistance for his vessel," she said.

She said the only mayday call we received was the vessel was engulfed in flames. "That's all we received."
Live updates: Boat fire near Santa Cruz Island, California - CNN

 

[imstilla.grandma]