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U.S. NEWS Monday 9 SepteMber 2019

Search warrants served in

California boat fire investigation

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. ment on what evidence the vessel.
(AP) — Authorities served was disclosed to obtain the Truth Aquatics pre-emp-
search warrants Sunday warrants, saying only that tively filed a lawsuit Thurs-
at the Southern California they are “a pretty stan- day under a pre-Civil War
company that owned the dard” part of the investiga- provision of maritime law
scuba diving boat that tion to determine whether that could protect it from
caught fire and killed 34 crimes occurred. potentially costly payouts
people last week. Coast Guard records show to families of the dead,
Agents with the FBI, the the Conception passed its a move condemned by Federal agents walk past a memorial for the victims of the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobac- two most recent inspec- some observers as disre- Conception dive boat fire on the Santa Barbara Harbor in Santa
co, Firearms and Explo- tions with no safety viola- spectful and callous.q Barbara, Calif. Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. Associated Press
sives and other agencies tions. Previous customers
searched Truth Aquatics’ said Truth Aquatics and the
offices in Santa Barbara captains of its three boats
and the company’s two re- were very safety conscious.
maining boats, Santa Bar- Authorities are focused on
bara County sheriff’s Lt. Erik determining the cause of
Raney said. the fire and are looking at
The warrants served short- many things, including how
ly after 9 a.m. are part of batteries and electronics
the ongoing investigation were stored and charged.
into the tragedy to deter- They will also look into
mine whether any crimes how the crew was trained
were committed, he said. and what crewmembers
The office was ringed in were doing at the time of
red “crime scene” tape as the fire. The boat’s design
more than a dozen agents will also come under scru-
took photos and carried tiny, particularly whether a
out boxes. bunkroom escape hatch
Thirty-four people died was adequate.
when the Conception Five crew members jumped
burned and sank before overboard after trying to
dawn on Sept. 2. They were rescue the 33 scuba div-
sleeping in a cramped ers and one crew member
bunkroom below the main whose escape routes were
deck and their escape blocked by fire, federal
routes were blocked by fire. authorities and the boat’s
The bodies of all but one owner said. The crew, in-
victim have been recov- cluding the captain, said
ered. The search for the they were driven back by
final body was suspended flames, smoke and heat.
this weekend because of They jumped from the
strong winds and rough bridge area to the main
seas, Raney said. deck — one breaking a
“The dive teams are going leg in the effort — and tried
to get together Monday to get through the double
to develop a plan. We’re doors of the galley, which
hoping they’re back in the were on fire.
water on Tuesday,” he said That cut off both escape
Sunday. routes from the sleeping
For a judge to approve quarters: a stairway and an
warrants, law enforcement escape hatch that exited
must spell out the probabil- in the galley area. The crew
ity a crime was committed. then tried, but failed, to get
Raney declined to com- into windows at the front of