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Autopsies Show 34 Victims Of Dive Boat Accident In Channel Islands Died From Smoke Inhalation

(Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office photo)
The burned out hull of the dive boat "Conception" in the Channel Islands September 2, 2019

Just released coroner’s reports for the 34 people who died in an excursion boat accident in the Channel Islands last year show they all died of smoke inhalation.

The September 2nd accident on board the Santa Barbara based dive boat “Conception” killed 33 scuba divers and one crew member. 

The victims were asleep below deck when the early morning fire occurred as the boat was anchored off of Santa Cruz Island. 

The manner of death is considered to be accidental.

The boat was destroyed by the flames. National Transportation Safety Board investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

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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