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#20531
 No Cause Determined in Dive Boat Fire That Killed 34 Off Santa Cruz Island
Smithsgold - 9/28/2019 11:18 AM
Category: General
Replies: 3
ktla.com/2019/09/27/investigators-finish-examining-d...OgBx7ExFnzLXL4FM5dYE

No Cause Determined in Dive Boat Fire That Killed 34 People Off Santa Cruz Island, Official Says

Investigators completed a two-week examination of the charred wreckage of a scuba diving boat and could not determine what ignited the fire that killed 34 people off the Southern California coast, a law enforcement official said Friday.

The boat, named Conception, was anchored just off Santa Cruz Island when it caught fire and sank early on Sept. 2. It was raised and brought to Port Hueneme, a naval base northwest of Los Angeles, where specially trained teams from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tried to figure out what sparked the blaze.

They completed their work there without finding the cause, but the investigation will continue, said the official, who was not authorized to release the information publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
#850
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DiveNarced - 9/28/2019 11:38 AM
Thanks for the update!
#20531
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Smithsgold - 10/03/2019 10:45 AM
usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/01/califo...tigation/3835536002/

California boat company Truth Aquatics indefinitely suspends tours following deadly Labor Day fire

The California scuba diving boat company facing an investigation for a deadly Labor Day boat fire announced a voluntary indefinite suspension of all tours Tuesday.
#20531
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Smithsgold - 9/27/2023 2:20 PM
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KABC) — Investigators determined a fire that broke out aboard the Conception dive boat in 2019 that killed 34 people started in a plastic trash can, according to a recent report.

The Los Angeles Times reports the trash can was under the stairs of the main deck of the drive boat.

The fire then quickly spread, leaving 33 passengers and a crew member trapped below deck.

Ginger Colbrun, an ATF spokeswoman, told the L.A. Times the bureau would not comment on the report, which has not been publicly disclosed due to ongoing criminal and civil court proceedings.

Capt. Jerry Boylan has been charged with 34 counts of manslaughter and is scheduled to be tried in federal court next month. He denies any wrongdoing.

The cause of the fire still has not been determined.