Captain of Ship Jailed for Deadly Fire in United States: 34 Lives Lost

The captain of a ship in the United States has been in prison 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 fire broke out on the ship Conception off the coast of California. The fire started in the middle of the night when everyone on board was sleeping.

On board were people who were participating in a three-day diving trip. Five of the above deck crew managed to get to safety. The 34 people below deck could not escape from 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.

It is the deadliest maritime disaster in recent US history. This led to all sorts of changes in maritime regulations.

Boylan was found guilty last year of “misconduct or neglect of a ship’s officer.” That charge is contained in a pre-Civil War statute, called “naval manslaughter.” This was created at the time to hold captains and crew members accountable for maritime disasters.

Boylan, 70, did not receive the maximum sentence of ten years. To decide the sentence, the judge took into account age, health and the unlikelihood of recidivism. “The suspect did not intend to do anything bad,” the judge said.

That was very painful for many relatives of the victims. They asked the judge to give Boylan the maximum sentence.

“He is not a victim,” said one of the relatives in court. “It is my daughter’s responsibility to be 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’m so sorry,” the statement said.