LOS ANGELES (AP) - A law enforcement official says investigators that examined the burned-out wreckage of a scuba diving boat haven't been able to determine what ignited a fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Cruz Island on Labor Day.
An official with knowledge of the investigation says a two-week examination of the Conception ended Friday without a conclusive cause. The person wasn't authorized to release the information publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The official says parts of the vessel have been sent to labs for additional testing.
The blaze is the subject of a federal criminal investigation, led by the Coast Guard, the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles, as well as a safety inquiry by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The company, Truth Aquatics, owned the Conception. Their lawyer, Douglas Schwartz, released the following statement Friday:
As we await the official findings, the preliminary insight is unfortunate.
For the sake of the victims, their loved ones, and the crew, Glen and his family want answers. It has become Glen’s personal mission that this never happens in the passenger boat industry again.
Glen is investing into additional independent investigation efforts to do everything he can to shed more light on what started the fire.
