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Captain found guilty of 'seaman's manslaughter' in boat fire that killed 34 off California coast

A scuba dive boat captain was convicted Monday of criminal negligence in the deaths of 34 people killed in a fire aboard the vessel in 2019, the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history.

Jerry Boylan, 69, was found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer following a 10-day trial in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. The charge is a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seaman’s manslaughter that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters.

Boylan is the only person to face criminal charges connected to the fire. He could get 10 years behind bars when he’s sentenced Feb. 8, though he can appeal. His public defenders declined to comment as they left the courthouse.

The verdict comes more than four years after the Sept. 2, 2019, tragedy, which prompted changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and several ongoing civil lawsuits.

kobra ,

From the article:

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Boylan failed to post the required roving night watch and never properly trained his crew in firefighting. The lack of the roving watch meant the fire was able to spread undetected across the 75-foot (23-meter) boat.”

unfinishedsentenc ,

Reading the article, I’m surprised that after 4 years they still don’t have a clear answer on how the fire started and haven’t held the boat owners responsible. There were early reports that electrical outlets or a phone charger caught on fire. I get holding the captain accountable for his failures, but I hope they don’t stop looking for why it started in the first place.

stella ,

I get holding the captain accountable for his failures, but I hope they don’t stop looking for why it started in the first place.

I don’t see how they could hold him responsible without knowing how it started.

What if they find out one of the passengers started it? What if someone lied to him about maintenance? Is it still the captain’s fault just because he’s the captain?

ieatpillowtags ,

The captain was held responsible for failing to post a watch as required, which would have detected the fire earlier. It also doesn’t look great that he apparently abandoned ship immediately, without seeing to the safety of his passengers.

stella ,

That makes sense.

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