Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

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Tangfish
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Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Tangfish »

Terrible news:
https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/ca ... index.html

I hope they find more survivors.
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Re: Truth Aquatics/Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by RoxnDox »

Oh no. I hope so too.
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Re: Truth Aquatics/Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by orcasc205 »

Absolutely tragic news. I, too, hope they find more survivors, but the news doesn't sound good.
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Tom Nic
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Re: Truth Aquatics/Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Tom Nic »

This is terrible...
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Gdog
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Re: Truth Aquatics/Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Gdog »

Im stunned. Myself and 3 other board members dove the Conception out on a 3 day to Santa Cruz Island in 2017. Crew was able, boat was sound. But if the fire started in the galley, you are screwed if you are below deck in the berths. Sounds like it went really fast too. So the crew jumped overboard and had to watch 34 people who they had just gotten to know, all die horribly. I cant even imagine.
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Penopolypants
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Re: Truth Aquatics/Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Penopolypants »

What an awful tragedy. I am hopeful that they will find more survivors, and my heart goes out to the ones who have made it, and to the loved ones of those that didn't.
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Re: Truth Aquatics/Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Tangfish »

I remember when you guys went on that trip GDog.

Details are still coming out. I haven’t read any info about the cause of the fire but I have to imagine it went big extremely fast, as you mentioned a handful of crew barely made it off and at least one of them was just in their underwear.

I also read that just the evening before they’d been celebrating 3 of the guests’ birthdays including a girl who turned 17 who was onboard with family.

Absolutely horrific and heartbreaking.
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by RoxnDox »

Boats go up fast. and at 3am with folks asleep belowdeck... add in the possibility of filled tanks overheating and exploding, I think chances are slim for too many more survivors. Damn. Just, damn...
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Penopolypants »

A bit of an update, and probably the only article I've read about diving that's reasonably accurate. https://www.latimes.com/california/stor ... estigation
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Tangfish »

This horrific event has me thinking maybe it’s well worth it to pay a bit extra for the upper or deck level cabins on liveaboards going forward.

The design of the single escape hatch at the galley is a common one. I never thought too deeply about it before but that’s a dang small chance to make it out of there in a panic and an emergency, and even more so given it was in a particular cabin on this boat (oftentimes it’s in the forward part of a hallway or common area).

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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by SCUBARM79 »

damn...
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by stphnmartin »

Vjw and I were on the Conception two months ago. As soon as I heard the news the passengers were asleep below deck, I knew it was going to be bad. You cannot get out the main exit if the galley is on fire. I don't recall being informed of an escape route above one bunk. I may have forgotten that detail. Finding it in an emergency situation would be almost impossible, as it appears to have been.

So tragic and upsetting.

I dive with a liveaboard operator in Indonesia several times a year. They lost their first boat to a fire, but managed to get everyone off the boat safely. After that event, they have someone in the engine room 24 hours a day. They also have a very clearly marked secondary exit below deck that you cannot miss because it gets used by the crew daily.
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MariaT
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by MariaT »

"
stphnmartin wrote: Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:42 amI don't recall being informed of an escape route above one bunk. I may have forgotten that detail.
Exactly... I did 2 trips on that boat, and I do not recall that either. Horrible tragedy and it strikes so close...
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by enchantmentdivi »

As a newly certified diver, I did my very first liveaboard on the Conception in 2000. I was on the Vision twice after that. I am absolutely heartsick over this tragedy. Watched a news conference just now that was recorded earlier today--just awful. NTSB is involved. I can't imagine how the families/friends feel, and the crew must be suffering terribly now on so many levels. Two of my three trips with Truth Aquatics were with this particular captain. I believe he and the crew did everything they possibly could, and it kills me that they are being bashed by the media. Sucks. All of it just sucks. :( My 91 year old father has been asking me a ton of questions about this tragedy. It smacked me right in the face--the worry he must have every time I go diving. And, how awful it would be if he was one of the "families" right now having to wait to hear news.

And, I ramble..... Just don't have anybody that really "gets" it right now.
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by deep diver »

My wife and I both have been on the Conception several times in the 80's and also do not remember the extra hatch. It might have been there and we just don't remember. We do remember lots of fire extinguishers hanging everywhere on board. We have lots of happy memories of diving off the boat. As we both got certified with Bill Finstad, Kristy's father, and always booked our travels with him. Our hearts are very heavy with the loss of all on board.
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Sharkb8 »

Well shit. They are slowly releasing names of the victims, and a friend from my first trip to Hornby Island Diving was on the boat. She also joined Anacortes Diving on a couple trips. RIP Marybeth, sorry that I never made it down to dive with you :(
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Diver_C »

Very horrible, and tragic. I can’t imagine what the victims had to live through before dying. I hope they went quick. Some day I’d like to be on a liveaboard, but this will certainly give me pause to consider how to escape in an emergency.
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by H20doctor »

Most of the bodies have been recovered now according to the news source in Santa Barbara one is still remaining unfound
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Tangfish »

Well that didn’t take long for the insurance companies and lawyers to take control of the situation, while the family members of the deceased are still in shock and grieving.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/loca ... 23721.html
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Penopolypants
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Penopolypants »

JFC. They should be shopping for caskets, urns, and flowers - which are brutal enough tasks when you lose a loved one - without having to shop for an attorney too.
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Tom Nic
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Tom Nic »

Tangfish wrote: Fri Sep 06, 2019 2:43 am Well that didn’t take long for the insurance companies and lawyers to take control of the situation, while the family members of the deceased are still in shock and grieving.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/loca ... 23721.html
Is anyone honestly surprised by this?

The owner is moving to protect himself, and the shocked and grieving families will bring out the knives soon enough. And if they don't their lawyers will.

'Tis the way of things in our day and age....

The whole thing is simply heartbreaking. And we keep signing multiple releases.... :eek: :police: :pale:
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Gdog »

I agree that is brutal to those families. My heart bleeds for them. Unfortunately, the company has little choice, they have to try and protect what they can or be inhaled.In our current sick society, it's all about who can bleed out who the fastest, regardless of the hurt or mental anguish on any side. Even if it turns out that a diver was utilizing a cheap offshore charger for their batteries, and it exploded, it will still be the boat owners fault. How do you get off this ride?!
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by dlh »

Speaking of lithium battery chargers: I've been reading up on this and found that Drones use a particularly volatile battery type called Lithium Polymer. This is different from the Lithium Ion batteries we find in Lights and Cameras. It seems that they are so volatile that there are Dozens of products on Amazon, etc for fireproof charging and storage containers to limit the impact of a charging fire. Do any of our drone enthusiasts know about this?

I'm going to order one of these containers (like a soft side cooler made of fiberglass fabric and foil)[/url] for home & travel use for for my LiON batteries to be extra safe. And never charge any of this stuff when I'm not present and awake...
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by H20doctor »

If you go over to scubaboard they're still hashing it out over there 115 pages of debate...
You know this incident is going to put them out of business and it would be pretty fairly common for the deceased's relatives to lawyer up...
I still don't understand why the top side crew weren't able to save anybody except save themselves..
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Re: Truth Aquatics Conception Boat Fire Tragedy

Post by Max Bottomtime »

Unless they were sleeping in full asbestos suits, breathers, and full helmets there is no way they could walk through fire. According to the latest reports, the victims were already dead from smoke inhalation. I know television and movies make us think the crew always goes down with the ship, but this is real life. It would have been suicide to go into the salon.
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