Following the fatal incident of the dive boat “Conception”, the wife of one of the victims filled a lawsuit against operator Truth Aquatics in connection with the fatal fire aboard the vessel on September 2.
The vessel burned and sank on September resulting to the loss of all 33 passengers and one crewmember.
Accordingly, the wife of one of the victims filed a counterclaim on Monday, November 11, contesting an admiralty suit that Truth Aquatics filed in the immediate aftermath of the sinking. Based on the allegation that the fire was caused by a “dysfunctional” electrical system, the lawsuit stated that the boat was not equipped with a safe electrical system.
Moreover, following the sinking of the vessel, the company’s original suit attempts to mitigate any damages to the value of the vessel assessed at $0.00.
The woman that filled the lawsuit seeks damages for wrongful death, funeral expenses, survival damages and punitive damages in connection with her husband’s passing.
Following, multiple federal investigations are being conducted to better understand the causes of the incident; The NTSB is leading the investigation, followed by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who issued a search warrant at the offices of Truth Aquatics, the Santa Barbara-based operator of the dive boat.
AP reports that USCG confirms the vessel has succeeded its two most recent safety inspections without violations, with authorities highlighting that all six crewmembers were asleep when the fire started.
Now, the owner of the vessel announced the suspension of all operations, while the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are conducting a parallel criminal investigation into the circumstances of the fire.
