Investigators recover passenger’s phone video taken during 2019 Conception boat fire

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Federal investigators have confirmed the existence of a video taken by one of the passengers during the Conception dive boat fire in 2019.

34 people died in the dive boat fire on labor day weekend 2019, off Santa Cruz Island.

Some viewers might find the information in this story disturbing.

An LA Times article posted on Thursday revealed federal investigators retrieved the 24-second video from a victim's badly damaged phone.

Investigators said the video clip proves the divers were awake and searching for a way off the boat as smoke was getting below deck into the bunk room.

The Santa Barbara County Coroner claimed that the victims died of smoke inhalation, and may have died in their sleep.

That theory was first called into question when some of the victims were found wearing shoes.

The FBI is in possession of the video clip. News Channel 3-12 does not have access to this video, so it will not be available here.

Several of the victim's families have seen it, including one man who advised other families not to view it.

For our most recent coverage on the Conception fire, click here.