May 2 (UPI) -- The captain of a scuba diving boat has been sentenced to four years in prison for criminal negligence nearly five years after 34 people died in a fire aboard his vessel, the Conception, off the California coast.
Jerry Boylan was found guilty in 2023 of what's known as seaman's manslaughter for his involvement in the accidental deaths of 33 passengers and one crew member and faced one count of misconduct or neglect by a ship officer.
It has been considered one of the deadliest maritime accidents in recent U.S. history.
His vessel, the Conception caught fire early on the morning of Sept. 2, 2019, with 39 people on board, most of whom were asleep below deck.
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Prosecutors said Boylan failed to use the boat's public address system to warn the passengers of the fire or try to help them escape, but instead escaped himself along with four crewmembers.
Prosecutors also said Boylan made no attempt to fight the fire with onboard extinguishers and that he was largely derelict in his duties as a captain.
"The key issue here is the defendant's duties as captain," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Defense lawyers argued Boylan stayed on board long enough to issue a mayday call to the U.S. Coast Guard, and only escaped the Conception when he was sure he would not survive otherwise, CBS News reported.
All six crew members were asleep during the time of the incident, prompting the prosecutors to point out that Boylan did not post a night watchman, which allowed the fire to spread through the vessel undetected. Survivors said the boat's smoke alarms never went off, court documents said.
"Defendant has never apologized, much less taken any responsibility for the atrocity he caused," according to the prosecution's sentencing papers.
Federal investigators were never able to determine the cause of the fire on the Conception, which was fully engulfed in flames by the time rescue crews were able to reach it an hour after the initial distress call. All 34 people were dead.
There was some speculation in court documents that the blaze may have been ignited by lithium ion batteries.
