Posted on 09/02/2019 8:51:41 AM PDT by Zhang Fei
At least 34 people were feared dead after a boat caught fire off Santa Cruz Island, California, early Monday morning, officials have confirmed.
Fox affiliate KTTV earlier confirmed there were nearly three dozen fatalities, but Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr Matthew Kroll told Fox News the 34 people were unaccounted for from a commercial diving ship. The captain of the boat was helping with the rescue. Four other people were rescued. Lt. Cmdr Kroll later confirmed the ship sunk near the north shore of Santa Cruz Island after taking on water.
At least 34 people were feared dead after a boat caught fire off Santa Cruz Island, California, early Monday morning, officials have confirmed.
Fox affiliate KTTV earlier confirmed there were nearly three dozen fatalities, but Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr Matthew Kroll told Fox News the 34 people were unaccounted for from a commercial diving ship. The captain of the boat was helping with the rescue. Four other people were rescued. Lt. Cmdr Kroll later confirmed the ship sunk near the north shore of Santa Cruz Island after taking on water.
"The Coast Guard has launched multiple rescue assets along with assets from local agencies to assist more than 30 people in distress on a 75ft boat near Santa Cruz Island," Coast Guard LA said in a tweet shortly before 5 a.m. local time.
A second tweet from the Coast Guard said the vessel was reported as being on fire and that one of those rescued had minor injuries.
Firefighters with the Ventura County Fire Department responded around 3:28 a.m., according to a spokesperson.
The Coast Guard responded with two helicopters, two 45-foot Swift boats and an 87-foot cutter.
Officer Nathan Alldredge of the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol told Fox News that his office responded to a mutual aid call
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I lived in Santa Barbara for many years, but never visited the Channel Islands, unfortunately. There was no Channel Islands National Park back in the days when I lived in the Santa Barbara area.
At one time, Santa Cruz Island was privately owned. A man owned 80,000 acres on the island, and there were some private landowners that owned some smaller parcels.
The man who owned the 80,000 acres, the vast majority of Santa Cruz Island, planned to leave the land to his two sons. The island has wild boars and some Chumash Indian archeological sites, as well as rare plants and other critters.
One son was killed in World War II, so the other son inherited it all. He never had any kids, so.....I think it was in the 1980’s....he either gave the land to the Nature Conservancy or willed it to them, one or the other.
Eventually it became part of Channel Islands National Park.
The smaller private land owners didn’t want to sell, but their land was taken by eminent domain. Military helicopters appeared over the landowners property one night and heavily armed men rappelled down and seized each property. Land of the free, huh? I don’t know if they were military or were from some out-of-control federal agency.
There are some smaller islands nearby; the U.S. Navy used one of them as a bombing range MANY years ago....either Anacapa Island or Nicholas Island....I don’t remember which.
There was an abalone fishery in the area when I lived there. I don’t know if that fishery still exists after the national park designation. The inside of the large shells were quite beautiful....they looked like mother of pearl.
Needless to say, I was shocked when I learned of this tragedy this morning. Awful.
According to a news report- some of the crew that survived, were blown off the upper decks of the boat, because of an explosion.
(Propane? Did they have Acetylene equipment on board? Guessing here.)
Tragic story. Prayers for everyone involved.
P.S.....
When I lived in Santa Barbara, Mexico was claiming that they owned the Channel Islands. They are quite a ways from Mexico. People either laughed at Mexico’s claim or were pi$$ed off. They claim went nowhere.
“They claim” should be “Their claim.” Sigh.
Commercial propane is NOT odorless. The manufactures add chemicals to it like they do with natural gas.
Great history lesson
I lived in Oxnard for 14 years and anchored at Anacapa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa 100’s of times in my sailboat
I can’t comprehend how you get our of bed every day.
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Thank you for your smarmy self-righteousness. I think you are smarter than that, and yes, you can understand that.
http://www.shorelinesummitadventures.com/dive%20boat%20fleet.html
Conception
In 1981, the Conception was launched and brought a new meaning to the word “liveaboard.” A larger vessel with new innovations such as circulating game wells, below deck shower room, air-conditioned bunkroom, large sundeck and a built in bar-b-que were just a few ideas that set this liveaboard boat in its own class.
Truth Aquatics banks EAN32, so no need for O2 bottles except for First Aid bottles.
Your welcome.
Propane itself is odorless, but the propane sold commercially normally has a chemical added to it so it has a distinct smell. That said I don't know if the smell would awaken you from you sleep.
It does tend to pool at low points, displacing the air under it. In that situation the result is usually a flash fire more than an explosion, but some mixing with air is all it takes to turn that situation into an explosion.
Summer of ‘65 I worked on an albacore boat out of San Pedro. When there were storms we’d shelter on the north side of Santa Rosa Island (which is east of Santa Cruz). It too was privately owned. There had been some kind of military installation, but it was no longer used. We’d see abalone boats there sometimes. They were painted black and red, so they were easy to pick out. We’d take the skiff and row into a little beach—we pretty much had the island to ourselves. I harvested a low tide abalone something that people talked of doing on the mainland in the 40s. Tenderized with a mallet, it made good eating.
There had been roads cut through and you could see the Indian middens—remains of camps. It was really something.
It looks like there was only one way out of the sleeping quarters. I can’t imagine why the Coast Guard would approve that.
Flash fire penetrating sleeping quarters then explosion is a probable scenario here. Smoke inhalation throughout sleeping quarters is another scenario. Happened at the worst possible hour, too. 3am ish.
We need comprehensive boat control. We need to do something!
Possibly odd but I've been a passenger on this boat before and all of crew berthing is above the main deck. KTLA's pictures show the entire berthing compartment for passengers (below the main deck) completely burned out. 3am fire? Not likely anyone below the main deck survived. This is the worst dive industry tragedy in southern california history. Prayers for passengers, crew, the Finstads and Worldwide Dive Adventures (charter group) and Kristy Finstad family plus Truth Aquatics.
Last time I was on Conception, really the only flammables are small bottles of propane and gasoline for the chase boat motors. Conception was an incredibly cool boat. Spotless. Well run. Great Captains and crew. Great diving.
There's going to be youngsters on this trip as well. Labor Day.
Last time I chartered the Conception, those who signed up for the trip and wanted 32 or 34 EAN paid in advance. Bottles were mixed at the shop and delivered to the boat. There are small O2 bottles for First Aid but no O2 other than that. There is some gasoline for the chase boats but that's about it for flammables -
The pictures look to be like the heart of the fire was in the berthing compartment - below the main deck on this boat there's 30 bunks and 4 stateroom style cabins. Its a very nice boat. Spotless and ultra professional.
There aint no propane on that boat. The Coast Guard would seize your boat if it had propane stored on it.
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