34 People Reportedly Killed in Boat Fire Off of California
Dozens of people have reportedly died after a boat caught fire early Monday near Santa Cruz Island off the California coast.
According to Ventura County Fire Department officials, 34 people lost their lives in the flames, KTLA reported.
Other reports put the number of dead at 30. Some accounts said that five people had been rescued and that all of the others on board were missing.
All accounts agreed that there were at least 30 people on board the boat when the emergency developed.
#CoastInc: @VCFD responded to boat fire off the north side of Santa Cruz Island at approximately 3:28am. @USCG helping support rescue operations for people aboard a dive boat. #ChannelIslands @USCGLosAngeles @CountyVentura @SBCOUNTYFIRE pic.twitter.com/DwoPGfBjtA
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) September 2, 2019
The Conception, a diving boat based in Santa Barbara Harbor, is a fully-equipped commercial boat that takes recreational scuba divers out for multiple days at sea, Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol Officer Nathan Alldredge told Fox News.
Alldredge said that when the emergency was reported the boat had “at least 30 passengers on board” and was “fully involved in flames.”
The boat had been chartered for a three-day cruise and was set to return Monday.
Ventura County Fire Department dispatchers said that the Coast Guard had been called around 3:28 a.m. to the north side of Santa Cruz island, according to KCAL.
The island is about 30 miles west of Ventura, which is just north of Los Angeles.
The Coast Guard responded to the flames with two helicopters, two 45-foot Swift boats and an 87-foot cutter, and remained in the area to search for survivors, in the hopes that anyone on the boat had made it to land or was still swimming, KCAL reported.
Fully involved boat fire in Platts Harbor @ Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of Ventura Co/Santa Barbara Co, reportedly 30+ souls on board, rescues are in progress. Numerous resources on scene & responding including private boats, USCG copters, FD boats.
— CA Fire Scanner (@CAFireScanner) September 2, 2019
The fire on the boat was still being fought around 6 a.m. local time, about two and a half hours after the first distress call.
The vessel was reported as being on fire. The a group of crew members has been rescued (one with minor injuries) and efforts continue to evacuate the remaining passengers. https://t.co/ojaSdUTHXd
— USCG Los Angeles (@USCGLosAngeles) September 2, 2019
In a tweet, the Coast Guard said “a group of crew members has been rescued (one with minor injuries) and efforts continue to evacuate the remaining passengers.”
BREAKING NEWS: The Coast Guard has launched multiple rescue assets along with assets from local agencies to assist more than 30 people in distress on a 75ft boat near Santa Cruz Island. More details will be available later as this operation continues.
— USCG Los Angeles (@USCGLosAngeles) September 2, 2019
“The Coast Guard has launched multiple rescue assets along with assets from local agencies to assist more than 30 people in distress on a 75ft boat near Santa Cruz Island,” the agency had previously tweeted.
It was not yet known what started the fire.
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