Deadly Boat Fire: Coast Guard Announces Investigation

CALIFORNIA — The Coast Guard's Rear Adm. Richard Timme announced Wednesday that he has convened a formal Marine Board of Investigation to look into the mishap aboard the small diving boat Conception that resulted in 34 deaths, including several people from Santa Cruz County and the Bay Area.

Learn about the Santa Cruz-area victims who've been identified.

The Conception caught fire and sank in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, 2019, just off Santa Cruz Island near Santa Barbara. Only five of the 39 people onboard survived.

A commandant-directed formal Marine Board of Investigation is the highest-level marine casualty investigation in the Coast Guard. It consists of four members who will investigate all aspects of the boat fire and sinking, including pre-accident historical events, the regulatory compliance of the Conception, crew member duties and qualifications, weather conditions and reporting, safety and firefighting equipment, and Coast Guard oversight.

Separately, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are supporting a Department of Justice investigation and will work in close coordination with the US Attorney's Office, according to a statement from the Coast Guard.

“The Coast Guard is deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred near Santa Cruz Island,” said Capt. Jason Neubauer, chair of the Marine Board of Investigation. “Our hearts go out to the victims, as well as their families and friends. The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough and detailed investigation to determine potential causal factors associated with this tragedy.”

During the course of the Coast Guard investigation, panel members must decide:

• The factors that contributed to the accident;
• Whether there is evidence that any act of misconduct, inattention to duty, negligence or willful violation of the law on the part of any licensed or certificated person contributed to the casualty; and
• Whether there is evidence that any Coast Guard personnel or any representative or employee of any other government agency or any other person caused or contributed to the casualty.

The investigation may take a year or longer to complete, and consists of witness interviews, public hearings, and evidence collection and analysis. Although if findings warrant, there may be some urgent and necessary safety actions taken before the investigation is over.

“In some instances, our marine casualty boards identify pressing safety issues related to vessel stability, the engine room, or lifesaving and firefighting equipment,” Neubauer said. “In those instances, we issue safety alerts or bulletins to ensure a wide spread dissemination of the most recent safety guidance. All of our safety notices and lessons learned from investigations are also publicly available online through our Coast Guard Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis website.”