California boat captain jailed for fire that killed 34
The captain of a diving boat has been sentenced to a four-year jail term for the deaths of 34 individuals in a fire that occurred onboard his vessel five years ago in California.
Jerry Boylan, aged 69, was found guilty of “seaman’s manslaughter” by a jury last year. Prosecutors alleged that Boylan neglected to maintain a night patrol or conduct fire drills as mandated by law.
The tragic incident resulted in the loss of all 33 passengers and one crew member who were sleeping below deck, marking one of California’s most devastating maritime accidents.
According to prosecutors, the captain and four crew members managed to escape without attempting to aid those trapped. Following the guilty verdict issued by a Los Angeles jury in November, US Attorney Martin Estrada condemned the captain’s actions as “unforgivable cowardice,” emphasizing Boylan’s failure to fulfill his obligations by abstaining from any life-saving or fire-fighting efforts despite being unharmed.
The fire erupted in the early hours of September 2, 2019, while the commercial diving vessel, named the Conception, was anchored in Platt’s Harbour near Santa Cruz Island, located south of Santa Barbara, during a dive expedition over the Labor Day weekend.
The captain and crew members fled by jumping overboard and swimming to a nearby vessel.
They reported to investigators that the fire was too fierce to rescue anyone trapped in the passenger quarters.
A federal judge denied the former captain’s plea for a new trial last month. Among the victims were five members of a Californian family celebrating a birthday: Michael Quitasol, his daughters Evan, Nicole, and Angela Quitasol, and his wife, Fernisa Sison.
Additional victims included marine biologist Kristy Finstad, physics teacher Scott Chan, his daughter Kendra, and the Arizona couple Patricia Beitzinger and Neal Baltz.
The captain faced a maximum of 10 years in prison, according to Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.
