Jury selection is underway in the manslaughter trial of the captain of a dive boat which caught on fire and sank in the Channel Islands, killing 34 people.
Jerry Boylan was the Captain of the Conception. The Santa Barbara based boat was off of Santa Cruz Island early on the morning of Labor Day, 2019 when it was hit by fire. All 33 passengers, and a crew member were trapped below deck, and died.
Federal prosecutors originally used an old maritime relate law to charge Boylan with 34 counts of what’s known as seaman’s manslaughter. But, after legal challenges he ended up being charged with one count of misconduct or neglect by a ship’s officer.
The trial is taking place in federal court in Los Angeles.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators say the captain failed to have the crew maintain a roving patrol during the overnight hours. They say detecting the fire earlier might have saved lives.
The exact cause of the fire was never determined. Investigators believed it was electrical in nature, perhaps caused by an overloaded circuit being used to charge cell phones and cameras.
The Los Angeles Times had an exclusive story which reported a reconstruction of the incident showed the fire started in a plastic trash can on the main deck.
Boylan has pled not guilty to the charge. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison.
