Dive boat captain facing manslaughter charges in fire that killed 34

Tuesday, 03 Dec, 2020 0

The captain in charge of a dive boat which caught fire off the California coast last year was indicted of multiple counts of negligent manslaughter.

Jerry Nehl Boylan, 67 was indicted for the deaths of 33 passengers and one crew member.

The vessel caught fire overnight in September 2019 when it was anchored off Santa Cruz Island for a chartered three-day diving trip.

Boylan and three other crew members escaped the blaze by jumping off the boat.

He could face 10 years prison for each count of negligence.

Prosecutors say the captain ‘is responsible for the safety and security of the vessel, its crew, but Boylan failed to ‘follow well-established safety rules.’

"A pleasant holiday dive trip turned into a hellish nightmare as passengers and one crew member found themselves trapped in a fiery bunk room with no means of escape," said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board completed an investigation last month, apportioning blame on the boat’s owners, Truth Aquatics Inc.

The victims were asleep in the lower level bunk room when the fast-moving fire ripped through the boat, giving them no means of escape.

Investigators said lives could have been saved if there was a night watchman on duty.

Several lawsuits have been filed against the boat owner by families of the victims.

Written by Ray Montgomery, US Editor

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TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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