On September 2nd, it will be the one year anniversary of the Conception dive boat tragedy.

I found an interesting article from the Los Angeles Times that states the NTSB will be announcing their findings soon…

By Richard Winton Staff Writer  Aug. 31, 20204:30 PM

As the anniversary of California’s deadliest maritime disaster in modern history nears, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it will hold a hearing in October to reveal the results of its investigation into the Conception dive boat fire that killed 34 people off Santa Cruz Island.

A preliminary NTSB investigation concluded that five members of the crew were asleep in the wheelhouse and that there was no roving watch on the vessel operated by Santa Barbara-based Truth Aquatics as required by the U.S. Coast Guard during the hours when passengers were asleep below deck.

But the more extensive examination of the origins, cause and events leading up to the Conception being burned to the waterline has taken months of investigation led by NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy. The board will vote on findings, probable cause and recommendations for changes to small passenger vessels to avoid a repeat of what its chairman called a “horrible, horrible tragedy.”

“We have substantially completed our investigation,” said Eric Weiss, an NTSB spokesman. Weiss said that in the coming weeks NTSB staff will make public interviews, research and other investigative materials before the public hearing.

The entire article can be found here: Conception dive boat disaster: Feds to reveal cause of blaze that killed 34

UPDATE FROM Heavy.com: Jerry Boylan: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

UPDATE From CBS News: 34 people missing after deadly boat fire off coast of Southern California

Breaking News from KTLA Channel 5:

A 75-foot diving vessel named the Conception caught fire Monday while anchored off Santa Cruz Island, prompting a multi-agency effort to find and rescue 33 missing people believed to have been on board, authorities said.

An unknown number of people are believed to be dead, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

At the time of the fire, the boat was scheduled to be on a Labor Day trip that started at the Santa Barbara Harbor on Friday night, then was expected to head to San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and the Santa Barbara islands before returning to the harbor at about 5 p.m. Monday, according to vacation planning website, Worldwide Diving Adventures.

The boat, which is based in Santa Barbara Harbor, can carry up to 46 people and has a large upper deck area, a built-in barbecue grill, bunkbeds, bathrooms and showers, according to its’ specifications page on the website of Truth Aquatics, a Santa Barbara scuba diving operation.

The Conception is equipped with a fixed CO2 engine room fire suppression system and an emergency radio beacon. There are also rafts and jackets for 110 passengers, according to the website.

The Los Angeles/ Long Beach Coast Guard station overheard the “gargled” mayday at about 3:15 a.m. Monday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Read the entire story here: Burning Boat Near Santa Cruz Island Was on Labor Day Trip From Santa Barbara; 33 Missing, Some Believed Dead