A mariner will say that “a fire at sea will ruin your whole day!” But, it’s never thought to be your last day.

The last day for 33 passengers and one crew member aboard the 75-foot wooden and fiberglass dive boat CONCEPTION was Sept. 2, 2019. The vessel became engulfed in flames at 3 a.m. off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. with the full complement of passengers asleep and trapped below deck. The only survivors were four crewmembers. The tragedy ranks as one of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history. It has been labeled a “major marine casualty” by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating to determine the probable cause of the fire.