34 people feared dead after boat catches fire off California's Santa Cruz Island: officials

At least 34 people were feared dead after a boat caught fire off Santa Cruz Island, California, early Monday morning, officials have confirmed.

Fox affiliate KTTV earlier confirmed there were nearly three dozen fatalities, but Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr Matthew Kroll told Fox News the 34 people were unaccounted for from a commercial diving ship. The captain of the boat was helping with the rescue. Four other people were rescued. Lt. Cmdr Kroll later confirmed the ship sunk near the north shore of Santa Cruz Island after taking on water.

34 people feared dead after boat catches fire off California's Santa Cruz Island: officials

I don't understand it. How could a boat with a bunch of SCUBA divers on board have so many fatalities? Why wouldn't they abandon ship and jump in the water?

I could see if it was some kind of a cruise for handicapped folks, but SCUBA divers??

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The most likely explanation is that it is much easier to arm chair quarterback a scenario from a distance then it is while in the middle of it.

See just about every mistake in a sporting event or military operation ever

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I agree, a bunch of scuba dIvers dying on a boat, makes no sense. Maybe someone wanted another someone on that boat dead. No loose ends.

Sorry, it is a conspiracy site...

Only thing my wife and I could come up with is oxygen...all those scuba tanks? Could they of exploded? I know its just compressed air, but could it play a part?

3 am, people probably sleeping.

Captain didn't go down with the ship.

a reply to: BlueJacket

Don't they just use air, not oxygen, in the tanks.

Maybe one of those cruises where you feed the sharks.

It said the call came in just after 3 a.m., I suppose most were asleep below. Must have gotten trapped. Or oxygen tanks exploded as BlueJacket said. Or both...

originally posted by: roadgravel
a reply to: BlueJacket

Don't they just use air, not oxygen, in the tanks.

Biden, is that you? Do you also prefer truth over facts?

originally posted by: KKLOCO

originally posted by: roadgravel
a reply to: BlueJacket

Don't they just use air, not oxygen, in the tanks.

Biden, is that you? Do you also prefer truth over facts?

Divers do not use pure oxygen.

Sometimes nitrox mixture with more oxygen.

You must be Trump, no cat 5 hurricane guy.

a reply to: roadgravel

I was just messin with ya.

But the nitrox mixture is still flammable.

en.m.wikipedia.org...

a reply to: BlueJacket

Well, it must have been some kind of an explosion to trap all those people.

I'm thinking this might have something to do with NITROX diving, and improper 'oxygen cleaning'.

If one tank burst it could burst numerous other tanks in the vicinity just from the mechanical impact.

Probably filling tanks at night, and came across a contaminated one, and....BOOM!!

Here's another article on the tragedy...

Many feared dead

a reply to: KKLOCO

OK

Yes it is.

Very large fire so there must have been a good fuel source.

Rebreather systems used for long duration dives use pure oxygen.

a reply to: graysquirrel

Absolutely not! Oxygen is toxic below a few meters of depth and would rapidly become fatal. Rebreathers scrub the CO2 out of your breath and replace it with 02, but this is not to be confused with breathing pure oxygen. The air you are breathing is still well below 50% oxygen

There are some technical divers who use pure oxygen, but that's not all they're breathing.

Now, that said, there could have been pure oxygen on the boat IF the boat was equipped with gas blending equipment for filling NITROX cylinders. Being a professional dive boat, this is a likely possibiltiy.

Looking at the boat burned as it is, I would say they had a very high temperature fire, and that would be symptomatic of a high oxygen environment. Messing around with pure oxygen is some dangerous stuff if you don't know what you're doing. The slightest little mistake can start a fire which pure oxygen will accelerate into an inferno in a matter of seconds.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I don't understand it. How could a boat with a bunch of SCUBA divers on board have so many fatalities? Why wouldn't they abandon ship and jump in the water?

Like these guys.
Coast Guard Saves Three From LBI Boat Fire

On the evening of August 10, members of US Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light responded to reports of a boat fire that broke out somewhere off the coast of Harvey Cedars. There were three people aboard the 20 foot boat, according to Seth Johnson of the US Coast Guard Fifth District.

The three individuals aboard jumped into the water and were rescued by USCG members on a towboat.

This was a boat fire in the same area just last month.

Well if it was early morning they could have been asleep and the fire might have trapped them in...all I got

originally posted by: RickyD
Well if it was early morning they could have been asleep and the fire might have trapped them in...all I got

Based on current articles that seems to be the explanation.. CNN and other sources are saying this now.

a reply to: opethPA

Makes sense to me as most boats would only have 2 maybe 3 ways out topside and I would venture to say 1-2 would be hatches up rather than a door out. Depending on how long the fire went unnoticed it could have been very bad by the time the alarm was raised. The fact the captain made it is kind of bad as he had the most responsibility to ensure everyone got out before himself.