By RICHARD WINTON, MARK PUENTE SEP. 5, 2019 4 PM
A preliminary investigation into the Conception boat fire has suggested serious safety deficiencies aboard the vessel, including the lack of a “roaming nightwatchman” who is required to be awake and alert passengers in the event of a fire or other dangers, according to several law enforcement sources familiar with the inquiry.
The probe also has raised questions about whether the crew was adequately trained and whether passengers received a complete safety briefing, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not have approval to comment publicly about the case.
Investigators have so far interviewed surviving crew members and others connected to the worst maritime disaster in recent California history, which killed 34 people.
A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman declined to comment, other than to describe the investigation as wide-ranging.
Jennifer Homendy, who is overseeing the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation, said the surviving crew members have said the fire was too intense to save any of the passengers trapped below.
“What’s emerging from the interviews is a harrowing story of the last few minutes before the boat was engulfed in flames,” she said. They felt that they had done what they could do in a very panicked situation.”
All 33 passengers, who had signed up for a three-day scuba diving trip aboard the boat, and a member of the crew sleeping below deck died in the fire.
Homendy said at least one crew member was awakened and left his bunk and, at some point, jumped over the side with his other crew members to try to rescue passengers.
“The galley area was engulfed in flames,” he told investigators. “They tried to enter through the double doors but couldn’t get in because of the flames. They tried to access the galley from the front through the windows, but the windows wouldn’t open.
At some point because of the heat, smoke and fire, they had jumped from the boat. One of the crew members jumped from the boat and broke his leg. Two of the crew members swam back to get the skiff, got the skiff and picked up the crew to take them to a good Samaritan vessel.
They contacted authorities and “returned to the vessel to find survivors,” Homendy said.
The crew member who initially heard the noise got up to look over the side. He looked down and flames were coming up.
He tried to use the ladder, “but the ladder was engulfed in flames,” Homendy said. “They just couldn’t get in.”
The escape hatch and the entrance were blocked by flames.
“It surprised me how small it was and how difficult it was to access, she said about the escape hatch. “I couldn’t see the people in front of me.”
What did the first crew member see?
“He heard no smoke alarm, he smelled no smoke, but he did see flames when he looked over,” she said. “They didn’t hear anything.”
She described the smoke alarm on the vessel as one that can be bought at Home Depot. She said the Vision — a boat she toured Wednesday that is very similar to the Conception — also had one smoke alarm, but it is not wired to a centralized system with alarms. Those were the types of alarms that were required when the boats were built, she said.
The NTSB has questions on the wiring and electrical systems, she said. There was a lot of photography equipment and extra batteries on board charging.
“Did that provide the ignition source? But we’re not closing in on that,” she said. “We’re not ruling out anything at this point.”
The agency is still reviewing records. The older boat had different fire standards because of its age compared to newer vessels, she said.
The boat was not at full capacity and could accommodate more passengers, Homendy said. The agency is looking at whether “there needs to be new safety standards to make sure this does not happen again.”
“ I definitely have concerns about the ability of those passengers being able to evacuate during a fire,” she said.
She said investigators still need to question two crew members.
Homendy said one crew member should have been looking for dangers.
“There is a requirement in their certificate to have a night watchman,” she said.