Fire on dive boat Conception in CA

[Kitty_Kat]

Such a tragedy

Truth Aquatics runs a great dive operation - I've been out with them countless times and their captains and crew have always been extremely professional and safety-conscious.

There is an escape hatch in the bunk room, but as has been discussed, its location isn't the most conspicuous and this information isn't discussed until the first morning of a multi-day trip. However, since this was the third day of a multi-day trip and it appears that the group running the trip frequents the Channel Islands, I wouldn't be surprised if whatever happened was fast enough/catastrophic enough that finding the escape hatch wasn't possible [speculation].

 

[markmud]

This is breaking my heart. I love Truth Aquatics and dive the Channel Islands with them. I hope nobody I know has been lost. This is going to be a really long day.

My heart goes out to all of those aboard.

Hi BikerBecca,

Ditto your statement above!
markm

 

[Lorenzoid]

If there is a stern escape hatch in that pic, it sure isn't very apparent.

This is what the passenger area looks like - the double bunks on the left are 2 high and the single bunks 3 high. This is the left half and there's an equal number of bunks in the same layout on the right side. There's barely enough room in the space in between; slightly wider than the aisle in economy class on a large plane. The main exit from this area is the single narrow stair leading up to the galley. I don't remember another exit but my last trip was in 2016 so I could be forgetting.

View attachment 538155​

I've been on the Conception when there was a light load of 18 people and even that felt like a lot going on and we kept running into each other when we were down there. I can't imagine what it's like with a full load like on this trip even in normal operations, much less in an emergency.

 

[cs4160]

Truth Aquatics is a first class dive operation, but Southern California dive boats are not the same as a luxury live aboard in the South Pacific. Certainly more cramped and less luxurious , but that doesn’t mean unsafe. The Truth boats had a well deserved great rep and were thought by many to be the gold standard for our type of diving out here. Yes, the stairs are by the galley but I have been reminded by my friend in the industry of the alternative egress point from the cabins to the deck....I have been on their boats many times and the fact that I had to be reminded of the alternative exit is a sad commentary on how little I pay attention to safety briefings....
it’s all so sad. Obviously the concern and focus should be on the families of those immediately effected but I also wonder how this will impact the diving industry in SoCal, specifically multi day dive boats...

 

[Sam Miller III]

FYI...….A little history -- Truth Aquatics

This is just one in a series of tragedies that the Truth Aquatics has been involved.

Event #One
The first one was when the "original" Truth which went aground. It was later destroyed by wave action before it could be salvaged, The few items that were salvaged and in condition to be used to construct the "New Truth" aka "Truth" was the diesel engine and a few miscellaneous items.

Upon completion of the "New Truth" a newer bigger boat the "Conception" was created (Concept ?)

All this occurred under the direction of the late great highly respected hot charter boat Captain Roy Hauser.

Event #Two
Some how, some way, no one knows how. but artificial reefs constructed of toilet bowls began appearing on reefs beyond normal sports diving depths at a number of hot dive locations in my beloved Orange County, LA County and at the Channel Islands. For a select few divers they became a private lobster market, always insuring a limit of then 10 bugs on a very short bounce dive.

On one such 175 foot dive things went horribly wrong for Roy Hauser and despite the immediate and heroic efforts of the crew and those on board Roy was irreversibly bent and sent the remainder of his long life confined to a wheel chair.

However he remained involved as the founder and driving force of the Truth Aquatics for many years

Event # Three
The current fire
Via con Dios bussos, Amigos mi

Sam Miller, 111

I suspect we can expect some major changes in dive boat charted procedures and construction both locally , nationally and internationally -- It is coming !
sdm

 

[SoccerDad]

Truth Aquatics is a first class dive operation, but Southern California dive boats are not the same as a luxury live aboard in the South Pacific. Certainly more cramped and less luxurious , but that doesn’t mean unsafe. The Truth boats had a well deserved great rep and were thought by many to be the gold standard for our type of diving out here. Yes, the stairs are by the galley but I have been reminded by my friend in the industry of the alternative egress point from the cabins to the deck....I have been on their boats many times and the fact that I had to be reminded of the alternative exit is a sad commentary on how little I pay attention to safety briefings....
it’s all so sad. Obviously the concern and focus should be on the families of those immediately effected but I also wonder how this will impact the diving industry in SoCal, specifically multi day dive boats...

You are so right we know where the main stairs are but totally either for get or were not really paying attention during the briefing - something we wold not do on the dive site briefing.

 

[KevinNM]

Truth Aquatics is a first class dive operation, but Southern California dive boats are not the same as a luxury live aboard in the South Pacific. Certainly more cramped and less luxurious , but that doesn’t mean unsafe. The Truth boats had a well deserved great rep and were thought by many to be the gold standard for our type of diving out here. Yes, the stairs are by the galley but I have been reminded by my friend in the industry of the alternative egress point from the cabins to the deck....I have been on their boats many times and the fact that I had to be reminded of the alternative exit is a sad commentary on how little I pay attention to safety briefings....
it’s all so sad. Obviously the concern and focus should be on the families of those immediately effected but I also wonder how this will impact the diving industry in SoCal, specifically multi day dive boats...

If I was the Coast Guard commander for the region I'd be seriously asking myself what my people need to do to prevent this from ever happening again. So yeah, I expect there will be a major impact.

 

[SoccerDad]

If I was the Coast Guard commander for the region I'd be seriously asking myself what my people need to do to prevent this from ever happening again. So yeah, I expect there will be a major impact.

Iy was reported that one of the crew said it was a propane explosion which would suggest it was in the galley where the main stairs are.

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

.

 

[markmud]

There is an escape hatch in the bunk room, but as has been discussed, its location isn't the most conspicuous and this information isn't discussed until the first morning of a multi-day trip. However, since this was the third day of a multi-day trip and it appears that the group running the trip frequents the Channel Islands, I wouldn't be surprised if whatever happened was fast enough/catastrophic enough that finding the escape hatch wasn't possible [speculation].

Hi Kitty_Kat,

Your statement above is right-on.

As a former professional mariner (tug master) and occasional passenger on Truth Aquatics Boats, I always searched out the means of egress and in fact tested the escape hatches on Vision and Conception. By test, I mean I partially opened them and made sure they were not jammed shut. I also checked for smoke detectors and fire systems. I assumed that those systems were functional and that the Coast Guard Inspector surveyed those systems before granting another year on the COI (Certificate of Inspection).

Where was the fire watch/anchor watch crewmember? As a 60 year old guy, I get up a few times at night to drain my bladder, I always waved at or saw a crewmember on deck while on Vision and Conception. I assumed they were performing anchor and fire watch duties and not a crewmember suffering with insomnia.

The Conception was stolen some years back and later found on, I believe, Pt. Arguello. She was hard and fast aground, but quickly salvaged.

Would a person who is not trained in marine firefighting, escape, and survive at sea not know what an escape hatch is used for? Were the smoke detectors not functioning? Did the smoke overcome so quickly, even a professional mariner wouldn't have been able to escape? I don't know...

I feel for the families of those who were lost.

markm