At least eight people found dead and more than two dozen people remain missing after a 75-foot commercial diving boat anchored off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, Southern California caught fire and sank.
that caught fire early Monday morning off Santa Cruz Island, California, sending the crew diving overboard and kick-starting a desperate rescue effort, according to authorities.
At the time of accident. there were 39 people on board the ship. Though authorities have given fluctuating information about the number of people on board the vessel. The search work to find the 26 people was continuing. Rescuers recovered eight bodies and spotted four others near where the vessel sank. Coast Guard Captain Monica Rochester cautioned that it was not likely that anyone else would be found alive. So everyone must be prepared to move into the worst outcome.
Five of the crew members managed to escape when the fire broke out and were rescued by people on a boat close by. Reports say some of them may have been trapped below deck.
As reported, the boat was on a Labor Day cruise, taking divers to the Channel Islands.
The vessel, Conception, was operated by Santa Barbara-based Worldwide Diving Adventures, that has been operating such expeditions since 1972,as said by its website.
The cause of the blaze is not discovered so far.
