A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has indicted Jerry Nehl Boylan, 67, of Santa Barbara, on 34 counts of seaman’s manslaughter in connection with the deaths of 33 passengers and one crew member in a fire on the dive boat Conception off the Santa Barbara coast last year.
The indictment, returned this afternoon by a federal grand jury, alleges that Boylan, as the captain and master of the vessel, ‘was responsible for the safety and security of the vessel, its crew, and its passengers.’
Prosecutors informed Boylan’s attorneys of the indictment after it was filed, and the defendant is expected to self-surrender to federal authorities in the coming weeks.
The indictment cites three specific safety violations: failing to have a night watch or roving patrol, failing to conduct sufficient fire drills, and failing to conduct sufficient crew training.
The Conception was a 75-foot, wood-and-fiberglass passenger vessel that docked in Santa Barbara Harbor. During a Labor Day weekend dive trip last year, the boat carried 33 passengers and six crew members, including Boylan. During the early morning hours of September 2, 2019, a fire broke out while the boat was anchored in Platt’s Harbor near Santa Cruz Island.
As a result of the alleged failures of Captain Boylan to follow well-established safety rules, a pleasant holiday dive trip turned into a hellish nightmare as passengers and one crew member found themselves trapped in a fiery bunkroom with no means of escape.
The loss of life that day will forever impact the families of the 34 victims. With this indictment and our commitment to vigorously prosecute the case, we seek a small measure of justice for the victims and their loved ones.
Each charge of seaman’s manslaughter carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
Related Federal Cases
- Jerry Nehl Boylan, Manslaughter, California 2019 · Washington
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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