Following an investigation into the California dive boat fire that killed 34 people in 2019, the National Transportation Safety Board has called for major safety improvements to small passenger vessels, including interconnected smoke detectors and a USCG inspection program. The 75-foot recreational diving vessel, Conception, with 33 passengers and six crew aboard, was anchored in Platts Harbor, off Santa Cruz Island, when it caught fire in the early morning of 2 September 2019.
All 33 passengers and one crewmember died of smoke inhalation after they were trapped in the berthing area while a fire raged on the deck above. Both exits from the berthing area led to the fire and smoke filled enclosed area above. Continue reading “Poor oversight and regulatory requirements led to the fatal Conception dive boat fire says NTSB”
On 4 December 2019 two men returned to 9.18m privately owned motor cruiser Diversion, which was moored on the river Ouse in York. The diesel fuelled heater had been leaking exhaust fumes into the boat’s cabin while they were ashore, and both men were overcome by a high level of carbon monoxide poisoning and died shortly after they entered the boat’s cabin.
The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (
Almost 900,000 UK boaters are due to be hit by post-Brexit travel rules on how long they can stay in Europe after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020, a new survey by the
Five international freight transport and cargo handling organisations have published a 
