Safety lapses on California diving boat: Newspaper report

A preliminary investigation into the scuba diving boat that burned and sank off the coast of Southern California reportedly suggests serious safety deficiencies aboard the vessel.

The deficiencies on the Conception include the lack of a "roaming night watchman" who is required to be awake and alert passengers in the event of a fire or other dangers, according to several law enforcement sources familiar with the inquiry, The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday.

The investigation also has raised questions about whether the crew was adequately trained and whether passengers received a complete safety briefing, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not have approval to comment publicly about the case, the newspaper said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB is) seeking to determine the cause of the fire. They are examining potential ignition sources for the fire, including electronics, kitchen stoves and the vessel's wiring systems. Investigators know photography equipment, batteries and other electronics were stored and plugged in on the Conception.

Meantime, the owners of the Conception — Truth Aquatics Inc of Santa Barbara — filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Los Angeles that uses a pre-Civil War provision of maritime law to limit their liability from any victims' claims. The lawsuit argues the company and owners Glen and Dana Fritzler made the boat seaworthy and the craft was properly manned and equipped.

Searchers recovered 33 bodies and continued searching Thursday in the waters just off Santa Cruz Island for the remaining victim.

The crew of the ship told a "harrowing story" of their failed attempts to save 34 people trapped below deck in a bunk room already engulfed in flames, investigators said on Thursday

All those lost in the Labor Day tragedy aboard the Conception were sleeping in a bunkroom below the main deck when fire broke out around 3 a.m. The captain and four crew were above and survived.

Crew members told investigators what Jennifer Homendy, a member of the NTSB, on Thursday called a harrowing story of the moments after the fire erupted on the vessel.

One said he awoke to a noise — but did not hear a smoke alarm — and saw flames "erupting" from the ship's galley below, Homendy said. He tried to get down a ladder, but flames had engulfed it.

Crew members then jumped from the ship's bridge to its main deck — one breaking a leg in the effort — and tried to get through the double doors of the galley, under which the ship's 33 passengers and a 26-year-old crew member slept. A stairway and escape hatch from the bunkroom both exited into the galley.

With the galley's doors on fire, the crew went around to the front of the vessel to try and get through windows but couldn't.

"At that point, due to heat, flames and smoke, the crew had to jump from the boat," Homendy said.

Two swam to the back of the vessel to retrieve a skiff and rescue the remaining crew. They took the skiff to a boat named the Grape Escape that was anchored nearby and called for help and then steered the skiff back toward the burning Conception to see if they could rescue any survivors. None were found.

Earlier this week, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said the captain of Conception made a mayday call before leaving the boat.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.