A nightmare scenario happened overnight near Santa Cruz Island, California.
A 75-foot dive boat caught fire and continued to burn with 33* (the number *34 has been lowered from 34 to 33) passengers sleeping below.
The five-person crew escaped, but authorities are now saying the passengers are feared dead.
The latest report from the California Coast Guard:
California Coast Guard says a rescue mission is underway after an early morning boating accident near Santa Cruz Island. MORE: https://t.co/nukdt894Oa pic.twitter.com/fSIE2yhNYT
— Queen City News (@Queen_City_News) September 2, 2019
The boat called ‘Conception’ reportedly departed from Santa Barbara Harbor on Friday night for a Labor Day weekend trip to the pinnacles of San Miguel Island and was expected to return Monday evening, according to the Truth Aquatics website
ABC News also reported earlier today on the fire:
A dramatic video showing the boat burning was posted on Twitter:
Tragic news off the coast of Santa Cruz Island… this is video of the 75 ft #Conception burning as nearby boats respond. 5 Crew members rescued. A staggering 34 passengers still unaccounted for. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/nwuCDEmARR
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) September 2, 2019
The map below shows the location of the boat:
The boat sank offshore during the effort to put the fire out by two different fire departments. The boat named the Conception was in 64-feet of water.
The boat burned down to the water-line: