The captain of the ship that caught fire off the coast of California in 2019, claiming the lives of 34 people, has been sentenced to four years in prison in Los Angeles, Der Spiegel reports. The court handed down the sentence for gross negligence after a jury found 70-year-old Jerry Nehl Boylan guilty in November. The punishment could have been up to ten years, but the defense hoped for probation.
Federal prosecutor Martin Estrada said that Boylan’s misconduct and cowardice caused the “terrible death” of 34 people. Before the sentencing, relatives of the victims had demanded the maximum penalty for the captain.
The fire broke out as the excursion ship “Conception” was on its way back from a three-day diving trip off the coast of Santa Cruz Island in September 2019. While the passengers and one crew member were sleeping below deck, the fire rapidly spread, blocking access to the exits.
The captain and four of his crew members jumped overboard and survived, while the ship was engulfed in flames and eventually sank. The captain was accused of not adequately training his crew for emergencies and failing to set a night watch, allowing the fire to go unnoticed and spread.
The tragedy led to the Coast Guard tightening regulations, although the exact cause of the fire was never publicly disclosed.
