Investigators Rebuilding Conception Dive Boat in Search for Cause of Deadly Fire

By Hickey Law Firm | September 25, 2019

Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the deadly fire that killed 34 people aboard the Conception dive boat earlier this month. After retrieving the boat from the sea nearly two weeks ago, investigators are now piercing the boat back together in an attempt to better understand the conditions that sparked the fire.

The Los Angeles Times reports that investigators are treating the Conception fire much as they treat commercial jet crashes in the way that they are piecing the vessel back together in order to look for clues as to what went wrong. There are currently several investigations running simultaneously, including a criminal inquiry, the L.A. Times reports.

As of now, the only report that has been issued about the tragedy has been a preliminary report by the NTSB. That report indicates that all of the crew members aboard the boat were asleep when the fire broke out. A federal regulation requires at least one crew member to serve as night watchman and stay awake during nighttime hours. 

The L.A. Times report also cites the fact that investigators are focusing on the galley as the most likely location where the fire may have started. This is unusual because typically boat and ship fires start in the vessels’ engine rooms. Authorities believe that charging of electronic devices in the galley may have been the source of the fire. 
 

Tragedies and injuries which occur on boats and ships are governed by maritime law. In the above video maritime attorney Jack Hickey discusses what you should look for in a good maritime attorney.

Posted in Maritime, Personal Injury