The individual responsible for the tragic incident involving the Conception, a dive boat that caught fire and sank off the California coast in 2019, resulting in the loss of 34 lives, has been found guilty of manslaughter.
Jerry Boylan, 69, from Santa Barbara, who served as the boat's captain, was convicted on Monday of misconduct or neglect of ship officers, commonly known as "seaman's manslaughter," according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. The offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
Attorney Martin Estrada emphasized the captain's negligence, stating that the avoidable tragedy could have been prevented had Boylan fulfilled his duties as entrusted. Following the conclusion of the 10-day trial in Los Angeles, District Judge George H. Wu set Boylan's sentencing for February 8, while Boylan currently remains free on a $75,000 bond.
The incident occurred on Labor Day in 2019 when the Conception, a 75-foot dive boat based in Santa Barbara, caught fire and sank near Santa Cruz Island.
The 34 individuals sleeping below deck, including 33 passengers and one crew member, were unable to escape and tragically lost their lives. Five crew members, the only ones not below deck, survived by jumping overboard and seeking refuge on a nearby vessel, the Grape Escape.
The jury concluded that Boylan's failures as captain contributed to the catastrophe, including abandoning the ship instead of rescuing the passengers, neglecting to carry out necessary life-saving or firefighting measures, and failing to utilize the boat's public address system to alert those on board about the fire. Other oversights included the absence of a night watchman or roving patrol and inadequate fire drills as mandated by law.
Boylan's defense argued that he remained on the boat long enough to issue a distress call to the U.S. Coast Guard and only leaped overboard when it became apparent he would not survive otherwise.
While investigators were unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the fire, they determined it originated toward the rear of the main deck, where passengers had plugged in electronic devices into lithium-ion battery chargers.
The victims, who ranged in age from 16 to 62, included a family of five from Stockton, California.
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