Twenty-nine people remain missing Monday, and four people are confirmed dead after a dive boat caught on fire and eventually sank off the Ventura County coast.
The mayday call came at about 3:15 a.m. from a 75-foot vessel named the Conception, located off Platts Harbor on the north side of Santa Cruz Island, a remote, but popular dive site in the Channel Islands National Park.
Five people were rescued by a “good Samaritan pleasure craft,” before the boat sank about 20 yards off the island’s shore in about 65 feet of water. The boat still had a portion of the bow sticking out of the water, according to Coast Guard officials.
The five people rescued were crew members who were awake and on the bridge at the time of the incident, then jumped overboard, Coast Guard Captain Monica Rochester said in a morning press briefing. The passengers were below deck asleep when the fire broke out, she said.
A Coast Guard spokesman told the Associated Press that four bodies were recovered near where the Conception went down. Another 29 people remain unaccounted for.
Authorities initially said 39 people were aboard, but that number fluctuated throughout the morning. A sixth crewmember was listed on the manifest but was actually not aboard, Coast Guard official told the AP, meaning 38 people, 33 of them passengers, were on the ship when the fire broke out.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department was leading the rescue/recovery operation. The area was being searched with boats and helicopters.
A family assistance center was being established at Earl Warren Showgrounds at 3400 Calle Real in Santa Barabara.
Family Members looking for information about their loved ones are encouraged to contact this number. (833) 688-5551
— USCG Los Angeles (@USCGLosAngeles) September 2, 2019
The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a “go-team” to investigate the incident, the agency reported. The team is designed to “begin the investigation of a major accident at the accident scene, as quickly as possible,” according to the NTSB website.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOAT
The Conception was operated by Truth Aquatics, a Santa Barbara-based charter company that provided a variety of ocean excursions, including whale watching, lobster diving and fishing. The company operates two other ships, Truth and Vision.
According to an online trip listing, the Conception was on a three-day Labor Day weekend trip to allow divers a “unique opportunity to explore the pinnacles of San Miguel Island.”
The advertised capacity of the Conception’s bunk room was 46 people, including both double and single bunks, some in stacks of three, and a shower room. Expedition quarters like these are typically known for being tight.
According to World Diving Adventures website, the boat was built in 1981 in Long Beach and measured 79 feet in total length. The galley included “all appliances necessary for food preparation and is waterproof for divers in wetsuits. Onboard built-in Bar-B-Que.”
The boat specifications also say it was equipped with rafts and life jackets for 110 passengers and a fire suppression system.
Carpinteria resident Tony Gonzales, a friend of a one-time crew member of the Truth Aquatics diving ships, brought flowers to Santa Barbara Harbor and threw them into the water as a gesture of respect and mourning for the lives potentially lost.
“It’s just a bad situation,” Gonzales said, describing the crew as “very dedicated people.”
Jim Daly, a Santa Barbara resident, was a frequent passenger on the Conception, chartering more than 10 dives on the vessel over the years.
“My experience was top-notch,” he told LAist/KPCC reporter Sharon McNary Monday. “That’s why we kept going back.”
Daly said his wife recently gave him a gift certificate to take another dive on the ship. He still has it in his desk at work.
“It’s just going to horrible to hear what actually happened,” he said.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
UPDATES:
12:40 p.m.: This article was updated with an interview with a frequent diver on the Conception.
11:41 a.m.: This article was updated with information about the NTSB investigation underway.
11:21 a.m.: This article was updated with new reporting from AP, an interview from Santa Barbara Harbor and an updated family assistance center location.
10:44 a.m.: This article was updated with an announced reunification center in Santa Barbara.
9:33 a.m.: This article was updated with new information from a morning press briefing.
8:56 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the rescue operation and where the boat sank.
8:39 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the diving excursion and the Conception.
8:02 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the timing of the fire and rescues.
This article was originally published at 7:43 a.m.
Ryan Fonseca, Megan Garvey and Sharon McNary contributed to this story.
