Last victim of the localized Design diving boat fire



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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – All the victims of the Conception dive boat were found.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that the latest fire victim of Conception's dive boat had been located during search and recovery efforts at the site where the boat had sunk.

"The Unified Command of the Design Incident is relieved to be able to announce that today's search and recovery efforts have found the latest missing victim," said the County Sheriff's Office. Santa Barbara in a tweet.

The boat burst into flames in the early morning of September 2, just off the coast of Santa Cruz Island.

Thirty-nine people were aboard the boat which offered divers from all over the country a dive during Labor Day. 34 people died when they got stuck under the bridge when the fire broke out. Five people, all members of the crew, were rescued aboard a ship of the Good Samaritan.

Seven people, including the person found on Wednesday, have not yet been identified. The sheriff's office uses "fast DNA" tests with the help of family samples to identify each person.

The friends of Berenice Felipe, one of the people who confirmed the death in the fire, told our newsroom earlier this week that her body was the last to be found in the rubble. Felipe joined the weekend boat trip as part of a birthday party for his best friend, Tia Salika, 17 years old. Tia Salika and her parents, Steve Salika and Diana Adamic, were all killed in the fire.

Rescue operations are still underway for the boat.

The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the circumstances of the fire. A criminal investigation is also underway, while investigators are trying to determine whether negligence or anything criminal contributed to the tragic fire.


Watch the design vigil here:

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