Santa Cruz Labor Day Dive Boat Fire Victims Identified

VENTURA COUNTY, CA. (THECOUNT) — Authorities on Friday released the names of some of the 34 victims killed in a Labor Day dive boat fire near Santa Cruz Island, revealing they all likely died from smoke inhalation.

The 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.

The cause of death was likely smoke inhalation, although the sheriff — who is also the county coroner — indicated traditional autopsies were not performed on the deceased. Instead, the office is relying mainly on external examinations and toxicology tests, reports KTLA on Friday.

Raymond Scott Chan, 59, of Los Altos;
Daniel Garcia, 46, of Berkeley
Justin Carroll Dignam, 58, of Anaheim
Marybeth Guiney, 51, of Santa Monica
Yulia Krashennaya, 40, of Berkeley
Alexandra Kurtz, 26, of Santa Barbara
Caroline McLaughlin, 35, of Oakland
Ted Strom, 62, of Germantown, Tennessee
Wei Tan, 26, of Goleta

The horror incident involving a boat off the Ventura County coast left scores of victims dead, the Ventura County Fire Department said early Sunday.

At one point, Fire Department officials said 34 people died, but the U.S. Coast Guard, which first reported a rescue operation near Santa Cruz Island, has not confirmed any fatalities.

The 75-foot vessel was reported to be on fire, according to the Coast Guard. reports KTLA.

A rescue operation was underway early Monday involving a boat off the Ventura County coast, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

“The Coast Guard has launched multiple rescue assets along with assets from local agencies to assist more than 30 people in distress on a 75ft boat near Santa Cruz Island,” the agency announced on Twitter at 4:48 a.m.

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 823,318. The largest city is Oxnard, and the county seat is the city of Ventura – Wikipedia.