Boat fire in California: troubling stories of death and survival aboard Conception as a ship ravaged by a fire

Surviving crew members recount troubling stories about the fire that occurred Monday morning on the Offshore Design Diving Boat in Ventura County, leading to the deadliest sea disaster. from modern Californian history.

According to the authorities, 34 people sleeping under the bridge were killed. Five crew members on the bridge escaped and were interrogated by investigators since the fire.

Sources told the Times that a preliminary fire investigation had revealed serious safety issues aboard the ship, including the absence of a "roaming night watchman" who would remain awake while others slept and alerted the passengers in case of fire or any other danger.

Here's what we know from the chaotic minutes that followed the fire:

The fire followed a night dive

A source familiar with the crew's accounts told the Times that a few hours before the fire, the passengers had taken part in a night dive. A member of the crew who was straightening the galley and the refectory climbed to the wheelhouse at about 2:35.

Before the crewmember climbed, he said, he checked that the stove was cold and that flammable materials were stored, depending on the source, which was not allowed to comment publicly. and speak under the guise of anonymity.

Some time before
3:15, the crew member heard a noise and thought that someone on the boat had stumbled. The crew member descended to the intermediate level and saw the fire. The flames prevented him from going down to the kitchen, the source said.

Waking up to an unstoppable fire

The surviving crew members told the investigators that they had awakened to a fire that could not be stopped.

The one who initially heard the noise looked overboard and saw flames rising. He tried to use the ladder, "but the ladder was on fire," said Jennifer Homendy, who oversees the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation. "They just could not get in."

The entrance to the rooms and the escape hatch were obstructed by flames.

"He did not hear any smoke alarm, he did not smell smoke, but he saw flames when he glanced," she told The Times on Wednesday. "They did not hear anything."

Jump overboard

She said that at least one crew member reported having jumped
with the crew to try to save the passengers.

"The kitchen area was on fire," said Homendy, telling what the crew member had told investigators. "They tried to enter through the double door but could not enter because of the flames. They tried to access the front galley through the windows, but the windows would not open.

Return to the ship on fire

A member of the crew broke his leg while jumping off the boat. Two others swam up to a boat that had been attached to the Conception
and helped
their injured colleague inside.

They contacted the authorities and "returned to the ship to find the survivors," Homendy said.

At that moment, the boat was completely engulfed.

Searching in vain for survivors

Shirley Hansen and her husband, Bob, were anchored near Conception, off the island of Santa Cruz, when they were awakened by deafening loud noises on the side of their 60-foot vessel.

"It was horrible, pounding," said Shirley Hansen. "Our boat is very well done. Pass this sound [showed] they really needed help.

Outside, in a dinghy, there were members of the Conception crew. The men were wet, helpless, some only wearing underwear. A man seems to have broken his leg, said Shirley Hansen. Another was injured in her ankle, she said.

By the time the boat arrived at the Hansen ship, the Conception was in flames, said Bob Hansen.

Shirley Hansen said that she and her husband had given the crew members blankets and clothing. Some of the men were crying, one of them telling them that his girlfriend was still under the bridge of the Conception.

Another man mentioned that the diving party had celebrated three passenger anniversaries a few hours earlier, including that of a 17-year-old girl who was traveling with her parents.

Shirley Hanson said that two of the crew members returned in the dinghy to search for anyone likely to have jumped into the sea.

"But they came back and they found no one," she said.

Design owner Glen Fritzler told KEYT-TV that the team "did their best".

"They went back to the back of the boat after swimming around the boat. They could not have access to fire-fighting equipment because everything was gobbled up, "he told the station.

He added, "They are breaking down. They seek advice. It is a very difficult time for them. "

A recovery operation of the boat should begin Friday.