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Crew Member On Dive Boat Which Caught Fire Says He Saw Sparks From Cell Phone Charger

(Ventura County Fire Department photo)
The remains of the dive boat "Conception" after a deadly fire which killed 34 in the Channel Islands in 2019

A crew member on board the dive boat "Conception -  which caught on fire, killing 34 people in the Channel Islands - told federal investigators that he saw sparks flash when he plugged in his cell phone to charge hours before the blaze.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators have released some of the documents from their review of the September, 2019 fire on board the “Conception” off of Santa Cruz Island.

There’s still no word on what investigators think caused the fire, but that could come at a hearing planned for next month when their complete report is scheduled for release.

The documents just released also say that some crew members testified that they weren’t trained on emergency procedures.  The blaze killed 33 passengers, and one crew member who were sleeping below deck when the early morning fire occurred.  Five crew members who were on the upper deck survived.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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