September 2 marks a painful anniversary in the Tri-Counties. It was six years ago that a dive boat caught fire in the Channel Islands, leaving 34 people dead.
The dive boat Conception was moored off Santa Cruz Island on September 2, 2019, when an early morning fire broke out. Thirty-three passengers and one crew member were trapped below deck and died.
The cause of the fire was never definitely determined. The leading theory was that an electrical fire triggered it, possibly caused by an overloaded power circuit from charging cell phones and cameras.
However, an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives linked the fire to a trash can below the deck.
Investigators said the deaths might have been prevented if the boat had maintained a watch by the crew as required. The captain was convicted of seaman’s manslaughter for safety lapses connected with the disaster, and is serving a four-year prison sentence.
Several safety improvement recommendations came out of the disaster.
