At least 34 people were feared dead after a boat caught fire off Santa Cruz Island, California, early Monday morning and sank, officials have confirmed.
The Coast Guard said it responded after overhearing a Mayday call around 3:15 a.m. of an “engulfed 75-foot commercial diving vessel” with 39 people aboard.
Firefighters from two local fire departments were fighting the fire when the vessel sank 20 yards offshore in 64 feet of water, the Coast Guard said in a news release.
Those unaccounted for were the boat’s 34 passengers who were sleeping below deck when the fire started, Coast Guard Capt. Monica Rochester told a news conference.
She said the five who were rescued were the boat’s crew, including the captain.
“The crew was already awake and jumped off the bridge into the water,” she said. – READ MORE