The body of the last victim disappeared in the deadly fire of a Californian boat is found

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The body of the latest victim, missing since the fire of a dive boat that killed 34 people off the coast of California this month, was found, the Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Santa Barbara County.

"Today's search and recovery efforts have found the last missing victim," said the Sheriff's Office. in a tweet Wednesday afternoon.

The bodies of 33 other victims had already been found since the fire on September 2, the commercial ship Conception, located in the waters off the coast of the island of Santa Cruz, west of Ventura.

The cause of the fire, which broke out at 3:30 am as passengers slept under the bridge, is under investigation. Five members of the crew, including the captain, were on the third deck and left the boat to survive.

The Conception, operated by Truth Aquatics in Santa Barbara, was participating in a dive excursion from Labor Day weekend at the time of the fire.

DNA testing was under way to confirm the identity of seven victims, the Sheriff's office said on Wednesday.

Rear Admiral Richard Timme, deputy commander of the Coast Guard for Prevention Policy, announced Wednesday that he had convened an official naval commission to investigate the deadly swelling.

Search warrants were served this week at Truth Aquatics' offices and on the company's remaining two boats, the Associated Press reported. They were described as routine in the ongoing investigation to determine whether crimes had been committed.

The Coast Guard Marine Council investigation, announced Wednesday, is expected to last a year or more, but urgent security measures could be implemented before that date, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The four members of the Maritime Panel will review all aspects of the incident, including "historical incidents of re-accident, regulatory compliance of the Design, crew member duties and qualifications, weather conditions and reports, safety equipment and firefighting, as well as coastguard surveillance. "said Coast Guard.

Other agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating the fire. The Coast Guard, the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also support an investigation by the Department of Justice, Coast Guard said.

Phil Helsel is a journalist for NBC News.

Andrew Blankstein is an investigative journalist for NBC News. It covers the western United States and specializes in the areas of crime, courts and homeland security.

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