A fatal boat fire in California prompted the diving community to seek answers

It's the stuff of nightmares. A 75-foot boat wrapped in flames against a background of black dawn sky. Dozens of passengers trapped underneath, unable to escape hell.

And the close-knit California diving community has been searching for answers after the loss of so many lives.

"What happened completely devastated us. We have trouble understanding why such a fire could have happened, "Elliot Gomez told Fox News. Gomez is a longtime dive instructor who has worked with and dive with True Aquatics, the infamous boat owner, for over 15 years.

"We are caring for one another and losing a diver in any situation is a terrible thing to lose a whole boat is an impossible loss to understand. conditions that surround them have left me and everyone else in chaos. "

Officials from Santa Barbara County announced Tuesday that the research was suspended; 34 people were presumed dead. The bodies of 20 people – nine men and eleven women – were found and divers found at least four others in the wreckage dug. The process of identification will require DNA testing, the investigators said.

In total, 39 people were aboard the Conception. It should have been a delightful summer song of swans, diving into California's brightly colored marine gardens and leaving with precious memories. But on the last day of the Labor Day weekend expedition, as the Conception entered the shores of California's Santa Cruz coast, the ship was on fire.

25 BODIES FOUND AFTER CALIFORNIA FIRE FROM DIVING BOAT TO DIVING, SIDE GUARDED

Captain Conception, Jerry Boylan, made a call Monday to a Coast Guard dispatcher around 4 am

Firefighters in Ventura County were able to reach the burning ship in less than 15 minutes, but struggled to extinguish the burning ship, which was still flaming. Truth Aquatics has not responded to a request for comment.

Among those believed to have died was Kristy Finstad, Charter Captain, a 41-year-old marine biologist and owner of Worldwide Diving Adventures, who chartered the ship.

His brother, 31-year-old Brett Harmeling, told Fox News that parents were preparing for the confirmation of the sinister news.

"At this point, we only hope that the passage from the other side of the house was pain free," he said, recalling his sister's deep love for diving – a hobby that She had adopted at the age of 12 years. "She loved the land and was passionate about marine biology. It was a fun and dynamic woman. She was always looking for adventure. She has always created a feeling of love in everything she's done. "

Harmeling also offered poignant life reflections through her grief.

"She has always been a student of life. She has never stopped living, "he said. "It's a good reminder to love people close to you during their stay because you will never know when they will be gone."

Finstad's husband and business partner, Dan Chua, was originally believed to be part of the doomed expedition, but instead headed a diving team near Costa Rica. He had to return on September 13th. Some friends tried to join him frantically Monday and Tuesday, fearing the worst for his wife and the dozens of victims.

Neil Hogue, a diving companion and friend of the couple, said that he was still waiting with dread. "I'm still waiting to find out who was on board while I dive for many years with World Wide Adventures and that I started diving at age 13 with Kristy and his father, Bill," he said. -he declares.

"Kristy is the most knowledgeable person I know about oceans and marine life. She is so excited and intense to talk about it. We had the most fun dive trips you could ever imagine. "

On Tuesday afternoon, the Facebook page of Finstad was full of photos and memories of the diver dedicated to research and ocean lover.

"Dear Kristy Finstad, who will always remain that nice and handsome boy with whom I have never spent enough time," said one family member.

"May you be free of all suffering and peace," wrote another friend. "You are loved, dear Kristy Finstad. Spread your wings and fly … "

The devastating grief has spread to the school community.

"The Pacific Collegiate School is saddened by the tragic sinking of the dive ship. Even though it was not a school-sponsored trip, our thoughts are with the families of the victims and those who are still missing, especially those of our students and parents at home. edge, "said the Santa Cruz School in a statement Tuesday. "At this time, our priority as a school community is to support our students, staff and families as a result of this tragedy."

Two students from the elite charter public school were aboard the boat.

"It's with broken hearts … 3 of our girls were on this boat. For the moment, they are still missing. My No. 1, Evanmichel Solano Quitasol, my No. 3, NicoleStorm Quitasol and my No. 4, Angela Rose Quitasol. The father of my daughters Michel Storm Quitasol and his mother-in-law were also on the boat, "Susan Solano Rosas wrote in a Facebook statement on Tuesday afternoon. "We are getting the latest news from the media. The authorities do not have much to tell us. Thank you all for your prayers of support and good wishes. "

St. Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton confirmed that he had learned that one of his nurses, Evan Quitasol, was on board the boat. Evan's father, Michael Quitasol, and Fernisa Sison, two former staff members of the hospital, were also confirmed.

Truth Aquatics, headquartered in Santa Barbara, has been serving the fishing and diving community since 1974. The design was launched in 1981 as a fully equipped commercial dive boat capable of spending several days at sea and accommodate a maximum of 46 people.

Five surviving crew members were able to get off the boat and recover a dinghy before boarding a 60-foot fisherman's boat – the only other ship anchored in the immediate vicinity – owned by Bob and Shirley. Hansen. Hansen told the New York Times that two of the crew members attempted to return to the sunken wreckage to find their survivors, but found no sign of life.

According to Daniel Bertucelli of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, one of the surviving crew members broke his leg while he was jumping out of the boat and was groomed in a local hospital. The others do not seem to have suffered physical injuries.

A sixth crew member was not found, presumed dead. Ralph Clevenger, photographer, who has been diving for over 25 years with True Aquatics and has regularly photographed the company's three boats, said a crew member was still sleeping with the passengers. He was still waiting for that name to be revealed.

"This is an unprecedented tragedy. It's hard to understand, "continued Bertucelli. "It's really sad to know what a lot of families are currently living by preparing for the worst."

Officials intended to conduct "quick DNA tests", which would require obtaining tampons from family members to speed up the process, which usually takes about two weeks.

The recovered bodies suffered "significant thermal damage," investigators told Fox News.

But many members of the mourning community have rallied behind True Aquatics and its safety record.

"Every trip starts with a mandatory safety briefing and a disclaimer. Outings, fire plans, emergency dive procedures and food procedures are discussed. There are several fire extinguishers at each level. However, the main entrance and exit to the berths are through the double-sided stairway to the showers and bunk beds at the bow next to the kitchen, "said Sarina Elliot, who has made many trips with the company since 2015 as a guest and host. charter.

Elliot also sang the praises of "Captain Jerry" Boylan, who "has been responsible for the design forever.

"He's a smiling navy captain, smiling and calmly behaving. He does his best to offer his customers the best possible experience on board, but will be up to the task of safety. He jokes that (accidents) require too much paperwork that he would prefer to avoid, but we all know that he would not hesitate to risk his life for the sake of his guests and his crew She said. "Truth applies a quality charter, which meets or exceeds the standards. I am convinced that it was something completely out of human control. "

Since then, it has been determined that the design is "in full compliance" with the safety rules.

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"True Aquatics is a true heritage in diving in Southern California. It's simply unheard of to have so many casualties in a boating accident, "said Clevenger. "The crew has always been great people, and Captain Jerry was always very safety conscious and coming home."

The bunk beds in the Design looked like wooden and had been divided into four rows with shelves at the end to store small bags and belongings. Some who had previously stayed on the Design explained that the staircase was near the front of the kitchen, so if there had been a fire there, it would be difficult to get to the kitchen. enter and exit.

"It must have happened very quickly," said a former passenger. "Most of the crew members sleep high up in the wheelhouse and not under the bridge. They take turns with the captain and the others to do the necessary all night. "

Gomez pointed out that he had "plunged into the whole world, and Truth Aquatics is one of the best."

"After a day of diving, divers are usually exhausted and sleep hard. The noise and fan fans of the generator generate a significant amount of white noise, so it would take a lot of noise. The main entrance to the sleeping area in the hull is a series of stairs at the front that lead to the galley located at the center of the ship on the main deck. The stairs go straight into the kitchen without any obstruction in height, "he said. "There is also a second rarely used emergency exit … at the back of the bedroom that leads to the back of the main office island by a lid, a hatch and a door.

"What happened must have been fast and overwhelming."

Robert Chacon, a retired FBI agent and long-time leader of his diving team and underwater forensic program, reported diving with True Aquatics for about a decade and acknowledged that he had a good reputation and was highly regarded by the diving community in Southern California.

"If the fire was declared higher, it would have been the worst case scenario. The crew may have tried to fight him from above, we do not know yet, "he said. "But the crew usually sleeps in the less desirable part of the boat, and the higher you ride, the less stable it is, which is why the guest rooms were at the bottom and why the members of the crew crew were able to escape. "

The investigators had not yet established the definitive cause of the catastrophic hell. In the current state of affairs, nothing indicates a criminal intent.

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A lookout outside Truth Aquatics in Santa Barbara Harbor continued to develop, a mourning community trying to grasp the extent of the loss.

"I can say with confidence that they (the crew members on board) are panicked," said Gregory Alexander, a true diving photographer and faithful of True Aquatics. "They tend to take responsibility for everything that happens on the boat, even anything that is completely out of their control."

Fox News & # 39; Perry Chiaramonte and Cristina Corbin contributed to this report