Nine days after the scuba boat Conception went down in flames with 34 people trapped below deck in one of the deadliest disasters in California …
Nine days after the scuba boat Conception went down in flames with 34 people trapped below deck in one of the deadliest disasters in California maritime history, a federal grand jury began looking into whether a crime had been committed. Now, a year after the Sept.2 tragedy, investigations into the cause of the pre-dawn blaze and whether someone is to blame are still ongoing, though court documents say criminal charges are imminent. The captain of the boat, who could face an unusual federal manslaughter charge, was briefed in July on the evidence prosecutors have against him. It’s the type of meeting often used to persuade a suspect to plead guilty, lawyers for the boat’s owners said last week in a related lawsuit. An attorney for Capt. Jerry Boylan and federal prosecutors declined to comment on the disclosure. The Conception was carrying 33 passengers on a Labor Day weekend scuba diving expedition near an island off Santa Barbara. The fire broke out while passengers were sleeping and quickly swept through the vessel. Boylan and four crew members barely escaped after trying in vain to save the others, authorities said. Boylan made a mayday call at 3:14 a.m. saying, “I can’t breathe,” before abandoning ship. All the passengers and one crew member perished in the bunk room beneath deck. It’s unclear if any had time to try to escape. Coroners said they died from smoke inhalation before their bodies were burned.
