Hell on earth

[speeder]

Not sure if you need a subscription to read this but a diving boat caught fire off the Santa Barbara coast this morning, (Santa Cruz Island), and sank w 33 people trapped below deck, sleeping.

Jesus Christ...

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-02/massive-rescue-operation-after-dozens-trapped-in-boat-fire-off-santa-barbara

[sc_rufctr]

.... Oh crap... Awful way to go

RIP

[Scott Douglas]

It really makes me wonder when it's reported all the crew got off, but no one else did.

RIP to those that didn't. Not the way I would want to go out.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

It really makes me wonder when it's reported all the crew got off, but no one else did....

The crew slept on the top (roof) of the upper deck.

All the 'clients' were in small bunks below... could not get out.
Bunks are a 2 or 3-high bunk beds... small and crowded.
Idea is to get the max number of people on the boat.

https://www.truthaquatics.com/conception/

[craigster59]

Also client bunks were near the engine room at the lowest point below deck. Probably asphyxiated in their sleep from the smoke. RIP.

[varmint]

I have nightmares about being trapped in an air pocket on a sinking ship. From what I see it’s still partially afloat. Hope they keep searching.

[KFC911]

That's horrible....RIP.

[Sooner or later]

[Arizona_928]

I hope they died quick... Being lit up like that.... ****

[SoCal911T]

I used to do a lot of long distance sailboat racing and fire is always in the back of your mind at night when you're off watch. RIP.

[speeder]

Looks like it was a really nice boat. I just can’t understand how a fire could grow that large so fast before people would have a chance to get off the boat(?)...

So awful.

[Jeff Higgins]

Oh my God... I cannot imagine what they must have gone through. The most "merciful" way to go would to have simply been asphyxiated in their sleep. Anything else would have been the stuff of our worst nightmares.

We used to head out on similar boats to catch the tuna as they migrated by off the Washington coast. A typical day was on board at midnight for a six to eight hour run out to the fish. The boats are identical to this, with the below decks bunks and all of that. I've spent a lot of time in those kinds of bunks.

What struck me then, and strikes me now once again about these boats is the relative lack of egress from those bunks. One way in, one way out, and it's narrow as hell with a very steep "stairway" that's really more of a ladder. If you are claustrophobic at all, it feels very, very confined. Hell, even if you are not, it does.

I cannot believe there is no requirement for emergency escape routes. Or a requirement to have the bunks away from the engine room, or higher up in the boat, or something. It seems that if one had any other options, below decks by the engine room would be last on the list.

Ugh.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by speeder

Looks like it was a really nice boat. I just can’t understand how a fire could grow that large so fast before people would have a chance to get off the boat(?)...

So awful.

propane leak..... then it exploded !! Propane is heavier than air, it will settle in the low sections of the boat... until a spark sets it off.

[craigster59]

The bunks were below the galley. Not the safest place to be.

[Chocaholic]

Horrific. Godspeed to all effected.

[Scott Douglas]

With that many souls on board, why would it not be a requirement to have someone awake and on watch at all times, even at night?

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

With that many souls on board, why would it not be a requirement to have someone awake and on watch at all times, even at night?

They were on watch. I’m thinking at that time of the morning all guests sleeping, a few crew rustling gear and crew on watch, maybe even someone in galley preparing breakfast.

Could have been an explosion in the galley. Any crew topside has no chance of being a hero, lucky to have time to jump/ be blown into the water.

[bmcuscgr94]

watching live press conference on Santa Barbara's KEYT, still limited information but search on going. Boat has sunk and is inverted.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by 74-911

propane leak..... then it exploded !! Propane is heavier than air, it will settle in the low sections of the boat... until a spark sets it off.

Interesting. Is this your theory of what happened, or do you have more information on this? I'm not being contrary - I mean, it sounds like the most likely scenario, and I agree with your theory (if that is what it is).

Such a scenario raises what is, to me, a painfully obvious questions - wouldn't there be some sort of a detection mechanism and an alarm that would sound under these conditions?