Free Library Honors Santa Cruzans Killed In Dive Boat Fire

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — The new Little Free Library at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter has been dedicated to Diana Adamic, 60, Tia Salika, 17, and Berenice Felipe, 16 — three shelter volunteers who died tragically during a fire aboard the Conception, a dive boat floating near Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara.

Adamic, Salika and Felipe were three of 34 people killed during the fire, which began while everyone slept early Sept. 2. The only survivors were five crewmembers sleeping on the boat's top level; everyone sleeping below deck died. A crewmember alerted to the fire after hearing a noise, waking up and seeing a fire rise from the level below.

Read: With 'Heavy Heart,' All Victims Of California Boat Fire Named

Adamic was a longtime volunteer at the shelter and served as its Humane Education Coordinator, the county said. She and daughter Salika fostered numerous cats and kittens.

Salika and Felipe were also shelter volunteers, working with education and summer camp programming, the county said.

“These three stellar individuals were invaluable members of both the Shelter team and the Santa Cruz community,” said former shelter Humane Education Coordinator Jen Walker in a press release. "They will be deeply mourned but also celebrated."

Members of the public are welcome to visit the Little Free Library and exchange books. The library is located in front of the shelter, on Rodriguez Street.