NOS News•tomorrow, 01:20
The captain of a boat in the United States has been jailed for four years for a fire that killed 34 people. He was convicted of criminal negligence, based on a pre-Civil War rule. After his prison sentence, he will be supervised for another three years.
In September 2019, a fire broke out on the ship Conception off the coast of California. The fire broke out in the middle of the night when everyone on board was sleeping.
On board were people who were taking part in a three-day diving excursion. Five crew members who were above deck managed to get to safety. The 34 people below deck could not escape the flames.
The boat sank about thirty meters off the coast of Santa Cruz Island. Captain Jerry Boylan was the first to jump from the ship, along with four other crew members.
The incident is the deadliest maritime disaster in recent US history. It led to all kinds of changes in maritime regulations.
Manslaughter by sailors
Boylan was found guilty last year of “misconduct or neglect of a ship’s officer.” That charge is contained in a statute from before the Civil War, colloquially known as “naval manslaughter.” This was created at the time to hold captains and crew members responsible for maritime disasters.
Boylan, 70, did not receive the maximum sentence of ten years. To determine the sentence, the judge took into account his age, health and the unlikelihood of recurrence. “The suspect had no intention of doing anything bad,” the judge said.
That was very painful for many relatives of the victims. They pleaded with the judge to give Boylan the maximum sentence.
“He is not a victim,” one of the relatives said in court. “He is responsible for my daughter being gone,” said the mother of a 16-year-old girl who died. “Can you imagine my pain?”
The lawyer read a statement from the captain in which he apologized. “I wish I could have gotten everyone home safely. I am so sorry,” the statement said.
