At least 25 people were confirmed de and nine ors still missing after a tragic boat fire early Monday near an island off Sourn California coast. dive-boat Conception, far out to sea in middle of night, became fully engulfed in flames as 30 passengers on a recreational scuba diving trip slept below deck.“You couldn’t ask for a worse situation,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said at a Monday news conference.

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boat sank in about 60 feet (18 meters) of water

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Matw Kroll says at least 25 people on a recreational scuba-diving trip died and search will continue through night for nine ors still missing. He says five ors have been found but t recovered due to unsafe conditions under boat, which sank in about 60 feet (18 meters) of water. Kroll that says se numbers are based on initial reports and authorities are awaiting final counts from autopsies. Five crew members sleeping on top deck jumped off and took a dinghy to safety. Two h mir injuries.

Authorities opened a family assistance centre 

Meanwhile, authorities opened a family assistance centre where counselling was being provided to relatives of those on board. ne of ir names were immediately released. missing and de were among 39 passengers and crew who h departed Santa Barbara’s Channel Islands Harbor on Saturday aboard boat Conception for a Labor Day weekend scuba-diving trip. RE: Hurricane Dorian 40 To 50 Miles Away From Florida Coast, US Braces

sinking of boat

A person making a rio distress call to Coast Guard from a dive boat on fire off California said that he couldn't brea and re were people trapped on board.  (Sept., 2) fire broke out about 3 a.m. as Conception was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, about 90 miles (145 kilometres) rthwest of Los Angeles. crew appeared to quickly call for help. “ call was garbled, it was t that clear, but we were able to get some information out of it to send vessels,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Barney.

Capt. Paul Amaral of vessel assistance company TowBoatUS also launched a fast boat from Ventura Harbor, but it was some 30 miles (48 kilometres) away. By time it got re around 5 a.m. a Coast Guard helicopter and a fireboat were on scene. Amaral said he first searched water and shoreline, n turned back to Conception, which was rift and going aground. He attached a line and pulled it into deeper water where fireboats could reach. “We launched that boat kwing that vessel was on fire, lots of people aboard,” he told Associated Press.

'Explosions every few beats'

five crew members, meanwhile, h taken ir dingy to a private fishing boat, Grape Escape, that was anchored near rth shore of Santa Cruz Island. That boat’s owners, Bob and Shirley Hansen, told New York Times y were asleep when y heard pounding on side of ir 60-foot (18-meter) vessel about 3:30 a.m. and discovered frightened crew members. “When we looked out, or boat was totally engulfed in flames, from stem to stern,” Hansen said. “I could see fire coming through holes on side of boat. re were se explosions every few beats. You can’t prepare yourself for that. It was horrendous.”

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Survivors weren't found

Hansen said two of crew members went back toward Conception looking for survivors but found one. Four bodies h injuries consistent with drowning, Kroll said. It wasn’t immediately clear when or bodies that have been found might be retrieved or when divers could search boat for ors. “It’s upside down in relatively shallow water with receding tides that are moving it around,” Brown said. Investigators have t yet determined a cause for fire.

A memorial outside Truth Aquatics 

75-foot (23-meter) Conception was on a three-day excursion to chain of rugged, wind-swept isles that form Channel Islands National Park in Pacific Ocean west of Los Angeles. fire broke out as boat sat anchored in Platt’s Harbor off Santa Cruz Island. Conception, based in Santa Barbara Harbor on mainland, was owned by Santa Barbara-based Truth Aquatics, founded in 1974. A memorial outside Truth Aquatics in Santa Barbara Harbor grew Monday night as mourners came to pay ir respects.

Conception was considered among safest 

Dave Reid, who runs an underwater camera manufacturing business with his wife, Terry Schuller, and has travelled on Conception and two or boats in Truth Aquatics’ fleet, said he considered all three among best and safest. “When you see boats y are always immaculate,” he said. “I wouldn’t hesitate at all to go on one again. Of all boat companies, that would be one of ones I wouldn’t think this would happen to.”

His wife said Truth Aquatics crews have always been meticulous in going over safety instructions at beginning of every trip she’s been on. “y tell you where life jackets are, how to put m on ... exits, where fire extinguishers are, on every single trip,” said Schuller. “y are best, absolute best.” Both said sleeping area is comfortable but tight, however, with bunk beds stacked next to one ar on lowest deck. Coming up to top deck to get off requires navigating a narrow stairway with only one exit. If fire was fast-moving, Reid said, it’s very likely divers couldn’t escape and crew couldn’t get to m. Coast Guard records show all safety violations from last five years were quickly dressed by boat’s owners. Some safety violations were related to fire safety. A 2016 inspection resulted in owners replacing heat detector in galley and one in 2014 cited a leaky fire hose. 

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Dive conditions were discussed before boarding on Friday

Conception was chartered by Worldwide Diving ventures, which says on its website that it has been taking divers on such expeditions since 1970s. Andy Taylor, owner of Blue Water Hunter Dive Shop in Santa Barbara, said he discussed dive conditions with several people Friday as y were buying some last-minute things before boarding Conception. Taylor said he often sends divers to Truth Aquatics for trips and he has friends who have crewed on Conception. He said he was on phone all day Monday as friends checked to make sure he wasn’t on boat. “Right w it’s a big question of who was on re and who wasn’t,” he said. “I’m scared to see list of names, honestly.”