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Once the fire started, it was too late for many on board the Conception
LA Times, via MSN ^ | Sept. 3, 2019 | Kim Christensen & others

Posted on 09/03/2019 6:56:09 AM PDT by libstripper

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To: rivercat

Agreed.
I’ve been on it too and in an emergency, it would be tough to get everyone out in time.

A very good boat and organization!


41 posted on 09/03/2019 7:47:01 AM PDT by Zathras
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To: libstripper

Tragic. Prayers for the families, and may the pain and anguish of the deceased been short.


42 posted on 09/03/2019 7:49:13 AM PDT by Professional
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To: rivercat; Zathras

Apparently, not a single person made up the stairs or out the hatch.


43 posted on 09/03/2019 7:52:29 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Charity comes from wealth.)
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To: Zathras

It is a bit tight down below as its really only for sleeping and resting between dives.

...

Not much air for that many people. I don’t think it would take much smoke to render everyone unconscious.


44 posted on 09/03/2019 7:57:10 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Charity comes from wealth.)
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To: PGR88

Lithium battery charging and overcharging. People shoot pictures nowadays instead of fish. I’ve used Conception before. It is the jewel of the California dive boat fleet. A multiple lithium battery explosion and fire directly above the berthing compartment where 34 people were asleep is something we haven’t seen before. This is speculation. Also, on multi day trips, many times emergency hatches get blocked with gear bags, clothing bags, dive tanks, scooters, cameras etc etc


45 posted on 09/03/2019 7:58:15 AM PDT by atc23
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To: 1Old Pro
one would think they would require two points of entry/exit.

Toward the stern, an escape hatch was situated above one of the bunks and led to the salon deck, which included the galley. "It's on a ceiling of the bunk room or the floor of the galley," said Bruce Rausch, 69, a veteran divemaster in Orange County and a retired San Onofre nuclear engineer who had been on more than a dozen dive trips aboard the Conception. "All you have to do is get up to a bunk and keep going up and you use the bunk as ladders."

Stairs on one end, escape hatch on the other.

46 posted on 09/03/2019 8:01:58 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ("The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last message.)
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To: eyeamok

There is no propane or any other explosive gas / chemical / metal stored on the boat - except lithium batteries for dive and video lights - they would be on the charge overnight getting ready for the next days diving


47 posted on 09/03/2019 8:02:02 AM PDT by atc23
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To: atc23

Bingo.


48 posted on 09/03/2019 8:02:29 AM PDT by sasquatch
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To: Kickass Conservative; gibsonguy
I don’t get the “In CA of course” snark. It is a Coastal State you know.

I'm waiting for gobsonguy to bash FreeRepublic.com because it too, is "In CA of course."

49 posted on 09/03/2019 8:03:12 AM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: KeyLargo

I’m sure it was inspected.


50 posted on 09/03/2019 8:03:38 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: mosaicwolf
briefing passengers in case of an emergency is part of the check list. One would think the same would apply on a boat.

Agreed.

51 posted on 09/03/2019 8:04:58 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: 1Old Pro

I have over 800 dives off the Vision, Conception and Truth. spanning the last 20 years. Each bunk area has two points of egress. One down a stairway and a ladder at the far end of the bunk room, which exists topside. I can only imagine this fire started in the galley, which is above the bunk rooms. Glen and the captain of the Conception, Jerry Boylan are first rate people and imagine their sense of grief and ultimate responsibility for this tragic incident....


52 posted on 09/03/2019 8:06:29 AM PDT by barney10
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To: rivercat
Lithium Ion - that’ll be the root cause, I think. Dive lights Video lights and cameras would have all been charging overnight at the charging station in the galley - explosion and toxic smoke fire. Other batteries nearby catch fire as well. . . .

I hope to god the emergency hatches weren’t blocked with passenger property - coolers, dive bags, camera equipment etc

53 posted on 09/03/2019 8:08:24 AM PDT by atc23
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To: PGR88
The story doesn't add up to me either. Divers are notorious for being careful and aware of safety issues. Safe diving depends on strong situational awareness.
54 posted on 09/03/2019 8:10:38 AM PDT by GOPJ (CNN's Lawrence O'Donnell rapes 5 year old boys and his Mom's a whore. IF true a bombshell story.)
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To: eyeamok

“My money is on Propane from the Galley.”

See #7 and look at where the ladders lead up to.


55 posted on 09/03/2019 8:13:29 AM PDT by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: barney10
I can only imagine this fire started in the galley, which is above the bunk rooms.

It must have been a horrific conflagration, terrible.

56 posted on 09/03/2019 8:13:49 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: RayChuang88

Divers don’t use 100% O2 in their tanks. At most the tanks would be filled with 32% O2 compared with the 21% O2 that is normal compressed air.

It is very difficult to make a scuba tank explode. Normally, if the tank is heated and the pressure inside rises, as in a fire or even in the trunk of a car on a hot day, a burst disc in the tank valve will rupture and release all the air in the tank very rapidly. An exploding tank usually occurs when the tank has physical damage or is filled incorrectly.

And I’m a 30 year scuba instructor who has inspected, serviced, and filled thousands of tanks. The diver’s tanks in this tragic accident are only an incidental consideration.


57 posted on 09/03/2019 8:17:34 AM PDT by Grognard49
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To: DoodleDawg

As I posted on another string yesterday:

“When I was stationed in Santa Barbara at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment in the late ‘80’s to early ‘90’s I conducted annual inspections on the Conception. There is an emergency exit to the bow from below decks. The passenger berthing/bunks are rather cramped. The emergency exit is one person at a time on a vertical ladder if my memory serves correctly. Plenty of dive paraphernalia to get in the way of panicked half asleep folks. I will not speculate on the cause of the fire. The Coasties will be conducting a full investigation on the cause. If the vessel sank that will make it more difficult. I am endeavoring to remember her construction, but I believe she is/was FRP.”

The hull construction is/was actually FRP over plywood. 46 CFR Subchapter “T” does not require a sprinkler system on vessels carrying less than 49 passenger. M/V Conception was certificated for 46 passengers.

I cannot recall for certainty about the galley appliances, but I suspect since the vessel had a stand alone generator for the dive air compressors, that the galley was electric.

I will not speculate on the cause of the fire.

These vessels are called “Party Boats” for a reason. Dive all day and party at night. Mix that with gear all over the berthing area, panic, and it is not a good mix.

It breaks my heart! May they rest in peace in the arms of the Divine.

Gunner


58 posted on 09/03/2019 8:18:06 AM PDT by weps4ret (Republicans are suffering from Testicular Atrophy, The Continuing Saga!! Still!!)
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To: KeyLargo

“Was there ever a Coast Guard inspection of that boat?”

Ask someone that has read the article.


59 posted on 09/03/2019 8:20:53 AM PDT by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: stillfree?

Dive tanks are air...not oxygen.


60 posted on 09/03/2019 8:21:54 AM PDT by Portcall24
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