Conception Captain convicted of seaman’s manslaughter

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-A Federal Jury in Los Angeles found Conception boat captain Jerry Boylan guilty of seaman's manslaughter in the deadliest U.S. maritime disaster in recent history.

The 69-year-old was the captain of the Conception dive boat and the first to jump overboard when the vessel owned by Truth Aquatics out of Santa Barbara caught fire off of Santa Cruz Island.

The boat sank early Labor Day morning September 2, 2019 killing 34-people onboard.

Only the captain and three crew members survived.

They were rescued by the owners of a boat named The Grape Escape and brought to shore in the Channel Islands Harbor.

Boylan was not convicted for each death, instead he was convicted of criminal negligence in their deaths under a pre-Civil War statute that holds captains responsible for maritime disasters.

Investigators blamed Boylan for failing to have a night watchman.

They also blamed him for inadequate fire safety training for his crew and passengers who lacked a sufficient escape route from below deck.

"I have already seen modifications, such as escape hatches and fire detecting systems, made to boats as a result of new regulations that will hopefully prevent a future incident like this horrific one from ever happening again," said Captain Paul Amaral of TowBoatUS Ventura. "This decision will further highlight the responsibility of the boat captains to follow all the regulations, which should also help prevent future incidents."

Boylan now faces up to 10 years in prison.

He is out on bond until his scheduled sentencing Feb. 8.