When fire started on a boat, the captain was first to escape — 34 passengers died

In 2019, there was a fire on his unit, which resulted in the death of 34 people. While the drama was taking place on the boat, all these people were sleeping under the sleeper.

The verdict was handed down on Thursday, May 2, CNN reports. Boylan was convicted of negligence as a boat captain.

Prosecutors accused him of not even trying to fight the fire or save the passengers. Moreover, he had not conducted appropriate fire drills, crew training and had not appointed a night guard.

The fire broke out when the diving boat was anchored near Santa Cruz Island, located on the southwestern coast of Ventura, California, USA. It is the largest island in the state. Boylan, then 70, was the first to escape from the burning boat. There were four crew members with him.

The investigation revealed that all victims slept under sleepers and died from smoke inhalation. 33 passengers and one crew member died.

Robert Sumwalt, then chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, estimated that it was the most tragic maritime accident in almost 70 years.

"As the jury found, this tragedy could have been avoided if Mr. Boylan had simply performed his duties," the prosecutor, Martin Estrada, said in a statement.

"We hope that today's verdict will bring comfort to the victims' relatives and help them bring closure to this stage," he added.

Solano Rosas, who lost three daughters in the fire, admitted she felt relieved after the captain's conviction. However, she emphasised she was disappointed with the penalty because she expected at least 10 years in prison.

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This article was originally published on Onet Travel.