Fire of a boat: 3 bodies found, 31 missing and 5 rescued today after a dive boat from the island of Santa Cruz ignites off the Southern California – Live Updates

Three bodies were found near the wreck of a commercial dive ship that caught fire early Monday morning off the southern coast of California, CBS News spokesman Guard said. US coastal, Steve Bricki. At least 31 people are still missing.

Earlier, Coast Guard captain Monica Rochester told reporters that the agency was engaged in "search and rescue" activities. The agency "was doing research on the coastline in search of survivors," Rochester told a news conference.

The five members of the dive boat's crew were rescued by a pleasure craft called Grape Escape, said Rochester. The passengers were sleeping under the bridge when the fire broke out, she said.

The FBI was participating in the investigation into the deadly fire, reported Jeff Pegues, president of the CBS News channel, correspondent for Homeland Security. The office has an underwater research team and recovery of evidence available to the authorities.

The 24-meter-tall vessel, called Conception by the Coast Guard, sank about 20 meters from Santa Cruz Island off Santa Barbara, Rochester said. The water was 64 feet deep, she said.

In response to a question as to whether the vessel operator had a history of infractions, Mr. Rochester stated that the vessel was in full compliance. The island was part of the Channel Islands National Park and the vessel was allowed to operate in the park, Chief Ranger Mark Hnat told reporters.

The Coast Guard heard a Mayday call around 3:30 am saying the ship was on fire, Rochester said. Mike Eliason, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department says on Twitter the boat caught fire while it was anchored near the island.

The crew of the diving vessel jumped into the water to escape the fire, Rochester said. They were already awake and on the deck of the ship, she said.