US Coast Guard have recovered 20 bodies after a diving boat caught fire just off shore of Santa Cruz Island in California on Monday 2 September.
Sheriff Bill Brown confirmed in a news conference that 39 guests were aboard the boat, including 6 crew members.
In a report made by the Santa Barbara County, 14 bodies are still missing and five crew members managed to escape the blaze.
The fire started at 3 AM local time in the galley of the 75-foot commercial diving boat named ‘Conception’. Coast Guard officials confirmed to Associated Press that 25 people are confirmed dead.
Those that managed to escape the blaze and jump off the boat were asleep in the main cabin, whereas the rest were below deck.
Sheriff Brown said in the news conference that the fire was, “probably the worst case scenario you could possibly have.”
“Fire is the scourge of any ship,” he continued. “Of all scenarios… you couldn’t ask for a worse situation.”
According to the BBC, the boat was in full compliance with safety regulations and had no previous violations. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
“The vessel Conception remains inverted on the sea floor in approximately 60 feet (18 meters) of water. To expedite search and recovery efforts the incident response is managed in six divisions, including two Search and Recovery, Security, Morgue, Salvage and Pollution Mitigation.” stated the report.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
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