This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
On Monday, September 9, 2019, authorities in Southern California searched the Santa Barbara offices of Truth Aquatics, the operator of the scuba diving vessel Conception, which caught fire last week, leaving 34 people dead.
The search, which could lead to criminal charges in the disaster, was conducted by the F.B.I., the United States Coast Guard, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the F.B.I., investigators searched the offices of Truth Aquatics as well as two other vessels operated by the company on Sunday and Monday.
Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, declined to comment further on the investigation, stating that more detailed information about the search warrants was under seal.
Little is known about what sparked the fire, which began in the early morning on September 2, 2019, while passengers and crew members were sleeping.
The Conception, a 75-foot scuba vessel, sat in Platt’s Harbor just north of Santa Cruz Island. The boat had 39 people onboard – six crew members and 33 passengers – when the fire erupted.
Based on preliminary interviews with the five crew members who survived, the authorities said the fire appeared to have started in the galley area between the deck above and the sleeping quarters below.
