Who is Jerry Boylan? Captain found guilty of neglect in 2019 boat fire that killed 34 passengers off California coast
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jerry Boylan, the former captain of the ill-fated scuba diving boat "Conception," which tragically sank in a horrific fire in 2019 and resulted in the deaths of 34 passengers and crew, has been found guilty of criminal neglect by a California jury, as per Daily Mail.
Notably, Boylan was the only person criminally charged in the disaster, which stands as one of the most devastating maritime tragedies in recent US history.
Jerry Boylan abandoned those on board to face the blazing horror
On that fateful night of September 2, 2019, the Conception, a scuba diving boat anchored off the Channel Islands, just 25 miles south of Santa Barbara, California, was concluding its three-night diving expedition.
As passengers and crew slept below deck, an inferno engulfed the vessel in the pre-dawn hours, and tragedy unfolded as the passengers and crew found themselves trapped with no escape.
Jerry Boylan was found to have been the first to jump overboard and leave those on the ship to face the blazing horror. The captain's supposed actions played a pivotal role in the outcome of this tragedy.
He was convicted on one count of misconduct or neglect of a ship officer, often colloquially referred to as "seaman's manslaughter," a pre-Civil War statute designed to hold ship officers and crew accountable for maritime disasters. He could face up to 10 years behind bars.
Prosecution argued Jerry Boylan's lack of oversight allowed the fire to spread undetected
According to the prosecution, Jerry Boylan failed to post the required roving night watch, a critical safety measure, and that he had never adequately trained his crew in firefighting. This lack of oversight allowed the fire to spread undetected across the 75-foot vessel, resulting in the tragedy.
In contrast, Boylan's defense aimed to shift blame onto the boat's owner, Glen Fritzler, who, along with his wife, owned Truth Aquatics In., the company that operated the Conception and two other scuba dive boats.
They argued that Fritzler bore responsibility for neglecting to train the crew in firefighting and other essential safety measures, creating a lax seafaring culture that they termed "the Fritzler way." Under this culture, no captain working for Fritzler posted a roving watch, further exacerbating the disaster's impact.
The trial saw the presence of two to three dozen family members of the victims, who attended each day in downtown Los Angeles. They bore witness to a heartbreaking 24-second cellphone video that depicted some of their loved ones' last moments, underscoring the immense emotional toll this tragedy has taken on them.
Though the criminal trial has concluded, various civil lawsuits connected to the Conception disaster remain ongoing.
Truth Aquatics initiated a lawsuit three days after the incident, invoking a pre-Civil War provision of maritime law that enables them to limit liability to the value of the boat's remains.
This legal tactic, used by owners of other historic vessels, including the Titanic, requires the Fritzlers to demonstrate that they were not at fault, further complicating the legal aftermath of the tragedy.
Additionally, victims' families have filed lawsuits against the US Coast Guard, alleging lax enforcement of the roving watch requirement, adding another layer of complexity to the emotional legal battle.
GUILTY - verdict in the manslaughter trial of Conception dive boat Captain Jerry Boylan in deaths of 34 people who perished below deck in a fire on a Labor Day. He jumped off the top deck three minutes before a video captured passengers last words. https://t.co/HCvqPPvH09
— Richard Winton (@LAcrimes) November 7, 2023
Conception disaster prompted significant changes in maritime regulations
Kathleen McIlvain, whose son Charles tragically perished in the Conception fire, aptly described the last four years as a never-ending nightmare. The circumstances surrounding the fire, which occurred in the middle of the night and led to some victims wearing their shoes, suggest that they were awake and attempting to escape.
Tragically, both exits from the below-deck bunk room were blocked by flames. While official autopsies were never conducted, coroners' reports attributed the cause of death to smoke inhalation.
The trial faced setbacks in 2022 when Judge George Wu ruled that the superseding indictment did not sufficiently specify Jerry Boylan's involvement, a crucial element in proving the crime of seaman's manslaughter.
This ruling led to the dismissal of the indictment, forcing prosecutors to present their case to a grand jury once more.
Despite the enduring pain and anguish, the Conception disaster prompted significant changes in maritime regulations and led to congressional reforms. The US Coast Guard implemented new regulations governing fire detection systems, extinguishers, escape routes, and other safety measures, as mandated by Congress.