3 mei 2024 om 11:25
The captain of a ship that caught fire in the United States in 2019 has been sentenced to four years in prison for “gross negligence, inattention and reckless disregard for human life.” 34 people died in the fire.
Jerry Boylan, now seventy, was on a diving excursion with a group of people in September 2019. The fire broke out while the ship Conception was anchored overnight off Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of California.
All employees were asleep when the fire broke out. 1 crew member and 33 passengers who were sleeping downstairs in the ship could not get out in time and were killed. Boylan and 4 other staff members were sleeping upstairs and were able to jump into the water.
According to the jury, the captain could have prevented the tragedy or at least minimized the damage. Boylan should have done more to control the fire and rescue the passengers sleeping downstairs. The court also accused Boylan of not having arranged a lighted night patrol and of not having his staff carry out sufficient fire drills.
Boylan said in court that his goal was to “get everyone home safely,” but he failed. He said the fire was too intense to save the other passengers.
Boylan was found guilty in 2023, but after paying a bail amount of approximately 70,000 euros, he was able to await the verdict in freedom.
