Dozens of people are feared dead after a 75-foot dive boat burst into flames off the coast of California.

The vessel reportedly caught fire near Platts Harbor on Santa Cruz Island in the middle of the night while passengers were sleeping.

Five people have been rescued and 34 people are currently missing, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department PIO Mark Eliason.

'They are unaccounted for, but it's very foggy out there,' Eliason told CNN.

'We're still holding hope that someone may have swam to shore.




https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7420969/Its-not-looking-good-Brother-marine-biologist-says-dive-boat-caught-fire.html

The vessel reportedly caught fire near Platts Harbor on Santa Cruz Island at around 4am.

Emergency crews received a call just before 3.30am local time on Monday, and rescue efforts involving multiple agencies and personal watercraft were still underway as of 6.30am PST.

The US Coast Guard has been unable to board the boat because it keeps reigniting, Senior Chief Aaron Bemis.

'It keeps being extinguished and re-flashing, possibly due to the amount of fuel on board. Unsure why, but it's consistently being put out and re-flashing,' Bemis said.


Bemis said there were 39 people onboard the boat at the time it caught fire and that 34 passengers got trapped below deck by the blaze while five crew members in the main cabin were able to escape.


The boat called Conception is owned by diving company Truth Aquatics and based in Santa Barbara Harbor, a harbor patrol officer told CNN.

Conception reportedly departed from Santa Barbara Harbor on Friday night for a Labor Day weekend trip to the pinnacles of San Miguel Island and was expected to return Monday evening, according to the Truth Aquatics website.

More tragic news everyday

Damn!
I really hope nothing happens to the 34 people!
I hope they were able to swim to the shore!
Tragic news everywhere

That's a long swim to get ashore.... but they first needed to get on deck where the fire was raging. Guess the crew escaped because they were above. Most likely the rest were trapped and died below deck. Kind of strange for the fire to keep reigniting.... may be deliberate and not an accident.

weird and odd news everywhere

Four bodies plucked from the ocean about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles all had injuries consistent with drowning, said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Kroll.

The crew members who made it off the boat were transported to the hospital. First responders are seen bringing an injured man to an ambulance at Channel Island Harbor in Oxnard.

Relatives of those on board the vessel arrive at a family assistance center set up by authorities in Santa Barbara on Monday.

Eiiii!
Sad sad sad

RIp

Sad

Seeing all these scares the crap out of me.Im scared of boats,and planes.Just don't know how I'm gonna make my fourth coming trip abroad.

ReneeNuttall:
Seeing all these scares the crap out of me.Im scared of boats,and planes.Just don't know how I'm gonna make my fourth coming trip abroad.

You don't have a choice, you have to fly.

Naaa waaaaa

Explorers:


You don't have a choice, you have to fly.

I knw,but 14 hours on a plane is hell.I will take sleeping pills while onboard.

ReneeNuttall:


I knw,but 14 hours on a plane is hell.I will take sleeping pills while onboard.

Lol... What if you're flying to Australia?

Explorers:


Lol... What if you're flying to Australia?

Ah! No way!

ReneeNuttall:
Seeing all these scares the crap out of me.Im scared of boats,and planes.Just don't know how I'm gonna make my fourth coming trip abroad.

Maybe start by accepting the certainty of death, brevity of life, uncertainty of how death will occur and living life to the fullest everyday....

Trippledots:


Maybe start by accepting the certainty of death, brevity of life, uncertainty of how death will occur and living life to the fullest everyday....

Oh pleeeeaaaaseee! Ur words are even more traumatic than my scary thoughts ,It reminds me of the movie FINAL DESTINATION. At this point I wish I have magical powers .

Explorers:


You don't have a choice, you have to fly.

She can use night bus

Ishilove:

She can use night bus

Explorers:

Abi na. God is Good Motors is my first recommendation. They have expanded to international freight forwarding but I bet she can persuade them to use one of their AC buses for cross border travel.

ReneeNuttall:


Oh pleeeeaaaaseee! Ur words are even more traumatic than my scary thoughts ,It reminds me of the movie FINAL DESTINATION. At this point I wish I have magical powers .

Calm dan jor. If you no die for air, water you go die for land. Live life to the fullest everyday.....u can start by being my fren sef...hehehe.

Trippledots:


Calm dan jor. If you no die for air, water you go die for land. Live life to the fullest everyday.....u can start by being my fren sef...hehehe.

Lol,funny u

Just read on Yahoonews that it was smoke inhalation that killed most of the people aboard that boat, rather than fire burns.