2. Can divers swim?
A lot of the shoreline is sheer cliff. 
Posted on 09/03/2019 8:08:34 AM PDT by sheana
"Audio of a mayday call reveals that the dispatcher made several references to the passengers being “locked” inside the boat, with no means of escape from the flames."
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/mayday-audio-raises-questions-circumstances-135618364.html
What part of that is a misperception?
it is possible that the emergency escape hatch was locked. Some 911 audio seems to support this.
The Conception had no doors to lock! Open boat.
Lemme see.....3:30-4:00 am. Sleepy, extremely distressed crew member talking on a muffled radio.....didn’t stop to take the time to say....no, no doors to lock but they can’t get out because the fire is blocking their exit.
According to my Captain friends who have been on board the Conception....the emergency hatch, above a bunk in the sleeping quarters, was simply covered with a piece of plywood. Just push. The people who rescued the crew members said the crew told them the exits were blocked by fire.
That’s a 75 foot boat. Could easily hold more people than that.
A lot of the shoreline is sheer cliff.
Whatever it was it took the two top cabins off with probably explosions. The initial reports were that the crew slept on top and were awake at the time. Maybe they were getting ready for an early morning dive and possibly preparing breakfast for the passengers and something went wrong in the galley.
Just a theory. I am reading that the COOK, Mikey Kohls is one of those missing. This would support the theory that a propane leak, then FLASH FIRE and explosion immediately took the life of the COOK. The ONLY crew member NOT to survive, I believe.
Sounds like the crew had time to get on a boat but didn't have time to help the passengers?
Unfortunately this sounds bad in any light.
The difference between Locked and Blocked is a “B”. Push the mic transmit button a microsecond after speaking and you get a partial transmission. Other noise or misperception creates the same affect.
Number 1 - dispatchers don’t know jack about dive boats and their design. The panicked crewman is in a state of panic and says all manner of ridiculous things. Number 2 - I’ve been on the Conception and her sister boats - there are no locks on any doors except the four staterooms in the berthing area and the heads.
Being a multi day trip, it would be more likely that the emergency exits were blocked with gear bags, camera equipment, scooters, sleeping bags, coolers full of beer etc. No one is locked in anywhere on dive boats
The galley is all electric. Propane is not fit as a flammable gas to carry aboard a commercial vessel like this. Coast Guard regs
No way of knowing if this was true or not, but a poster on Instagram said he knew and has talked to one of the crew members.
The crew member told him they tried to save the passengers but couldn’t, and that crew members had loved ones on board they couldn’t save either.
34 passengers is quite comfortable on the Conception. It’s bigger that it looks in the pic. It’s Coast Guard rated to carry 46 but 34 is easier on crew and passengers. It’s plenty big enough
Best explanation so far, from an old sixpac skipper.
I sincerely hope the emergency exits weren’t blocked with dive gear, coolers, etc. Frequent pet peeve of mine on dive boats in So California
From what I have read, it was a small escape hatch, meaning that it would have taken a long time to get 30+ people through it even if it was unlocked. Fires move much faster than we can imagine, especially with things like oxygen on board, and these poor people never had a chance.
It seems to me that the crew didn’t do enough, and certainly the captain (who had worked for them for a long time) seems not to have been very prepared, but again, as somebody else says, we don’t know all the facts yet.
Kind of depends on the explosion too.
Could have been pretty destructive from the get go.
Was the boat almost totally destroyed by the explosion?
Something very quick happened, such as a flash fire. Question is, what could have caused that?
Perhaps something set the bunk stairwell ablaze, but there's another plywood escape hatch in bunk area. Something quick and debilitating happened.
That was in the news.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.