A scuba dive boat captain was convicted Monday of criminal negligence in the deaths of 34 people killed in a fire aboard the vessel in 2019, the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history.
A scuba dive boat captain was convicted Monday of criminal negligence in the deaths of 34 people killed in a fire aboard the vessel in 2019, the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history.
Jerry Boylan, 69, was found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer, a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seaman’s manslaughter that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters. Boylan was the only person to face criminal charges connected to the fire.
He could get 10 years behind bars when he’s sentenced Feb. 8.
Relatives of those killed hugged one another and wept outside the courtroom after the verdict was read. They thanked the FBI case agent who led the investigation.
Clark and Kathleen McIlvain, whose son Charles died at age 44, said they were relieved that there is finally accountability for their loss.
“We are very happy that the world knows that Jerry Boylan was responsible for this and has been found guilty,” Clark McIlvain said.
Boylan can appeal. His public defenders declined to comment as they left the courthouse.
The verdict comes more than four years after the Sept. 2, 2019 tragedy, which prompted changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and civil lawsuits.
The Conception was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Santa Barbara, when it caught fire before dawn on the final day of a three-day excursion, sinking less than 100 feet (30 meters) from shore.
Thirty-three passengers and a crew member perished, trapped in a bunkroom below deck.
