Scuba Boat Captain Receives 4-Year Sentence for 34 Deaths: NPR
TL/DR –
Scuba dive boat captain Jerry Boylan was sentenced to four years in prison and three years supervised release over a fire aboard his vessel that led to the deaths of 34 people. The incident, which occurred on 2nd September 2019, was the deadliest maritime disaster in recent US history, leading to changes in maritime regulations and several ongoing lawsuits. Boylan, who had been found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of a ship officer, was the first to abandon the ship.
Dive Boat Captain Jailed for Negligence Resulting in 34 Fatalities
Scuba dive boat captain Jerry Boylan was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release by a Los Angeles federal judge for criminal negligence, following a deadly fire on his vessel that claimed 34 lives.
The September 2, 2019, incident is considered the most fatal maritime disaster in recent U.S. history. This tragedy resulted in various changes to maritime regulations and incited numerous ongoing lawsuits. Boylan was found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer, a pre-Civil War statute known as seaman’s manslaughter, designed to hold steamboat captains and crew accountable for maritime disasters.
During the emotionally charged hearing, family members of the victims pleaded with U.S. District Judge George Wu to give Boylan the maximum 10-year sentence. Bereaved parents, including Robert Kurtz and Yadira Alvarez, expressed their profound loss and grief.
The Conception was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, 25 miles south of Santa Barbara, when the fire broke out. Thirty-three passengers and a crew member, trapped in a bunkroom below deck, perished. The victims included a deckhand, an environmental scientist, a family of five, a Singaporean data scientist, and others.
Boylan, who abandoned the ship first, survived along with four other crew members. During the hearing, Boylan’s attorney read a statement in which he expressed his condolences and remorse over the incident. Boylan’s appeal is ongoing.
Hank Garcia, who lost his son Daniel in the fire, told the court, “We all have a life sentence. We are living a life sentence without the people that we love.” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada echoed Garcia’s sentiment, stating, “While today’s sentence cannot fully heal their wounds, we hope that our efforts to hold this defendant criminally accountable bring some measure of healing to the families.”
Boylan was initially indicted on 34 counts of seaman’s manslaughter, which could have put him behind bars for 340 years. However, prosecutors later decided on a single count charge. The prosecution and defense laid blame on each other for the incident throughout the 10-day trial.
The government held Boylan accountable for failing to post the required roving night watch and for not training his crew in firefighting. Boylan’s defense team, however, pointed fingers at Glen Fritzler, owner of Truth Aquatics Inc., for lack of safety training and fostering a lax seafaring culture.
With the criminal case concluded, focus shifts to several ongoing lawsuits. Truth Aquatics filed a lawsuit three days after the fire to limit its liability to the value of the boat’s remains. Additional lawsuits have been filed by victims’ families against the Coast Guard for alleged lax enforcement of the roving watch requirement.
Following the sentencing, Susana Solano, who lost three daughters and their father in the incident, expressed her disappointment. “It’s just heartwrenching,” she said.
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