California dive boat captain charged with manslaughter in 2019 fire that killed 34 people

The captain of M / V Conception, a dive boat that caught fire last year off Santa Barbara, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury on 34 counts of manslaughter of a sailor, reports CBS Los Angeles.

According to the indictment, Jerry Nehl Boylan, 67, of Santa Barbara, “was responsible for the safety and security of the ship, its crew and its passengers”, as captain and captain of the ship.

The indictment alleges that Boylan caused the death of 33 passengers and a crew member “through his fault, negligence and inattention to his duties.”

Prosecutors alleged that Boylan did not do night watch or roving patrol, conduct fire drills and provide sufficient training to the crew – all of which are required by the Code of Federal Regulations.

“This tragedy changed the lives of so many families and loved ones forever, and it deeply affected members of the audience who watched in horror. We continue to mourn with them,” Kristi K. Johnson, Deputy Director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI local office of Angeles, said. “We hope this indictment will lead to the prevention of shipping accidents and the senseless destruction of lives through proper precautions and training.”

The Conception, a 75-foot vessel, was anchored in the port of Platt near Santa Cruz Island on September 2, 2019, when a fire broke out. The fire, which engulfed the boat and led to its sinking, killed 34 people sleeping under the bridge. Five crew members, including Boylan, were able to escape and survive.

“Due to Captain Boylan’s alleged failures to follow well-established safety rules, an enjoyable vacation diving trip turned into a hellish nightmare as passengers and a crew member found themselves trapped in a dormitory. ablaze with no way to escape “Lawyer Nick Hanna said. “The loss of life that day will have an impact forever on the families of the 34 victims. With this indictment and our commitment to vigorously pursue the case, we demand a small measure of justice for the victims and their victims. relatives.”

Boylan is expected to give up in the coming weeks. Each charge of manslaughter of a seafarer carries a legal maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.