All 34 people killed in California scuba boat fire died of smoke inhalation before burning, coroner says

In this Sept. 2, 2019 photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, firefighters respond to a fire aboard the Conception dive boat in the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of Southern California.(AP)

The 34 people killed when a massive fire broke out aboard a California dive boat late last year died of smoke inhalation before they were burned, according to the coroner’s report.

One crew member and 33 passengers lost their lives in the early-morning blaze aboard the HM Conception, which was floating just off the Channel Islands. The lone survivors were the captain and four other crew members, who were asleep above deck when the fire broke out on Sept. 2 just before dawn.

Details in the coroner’s report suggest the passengers — trapped in the below deck bunk — were attempting to escape before they were knocked out by smoke and fumes, according to CNN.

One person was clutching a cellphone while another died with a flashlight in their hands. Some passengers were in various states of dress when their remains were recovered.

It’s not clear whether they fell asleep that way, but "maybe they were trying to escape,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lt. Erik Raney said.

Smoke inhalation was listed as the cause of death for all 34 victims, “which created lethal levels of carbon monoxide in their blood,” Raney told the Santa Barbara Independent. All extensive fourth- and fifth-degree burns found on their bodies occurred postmortem, he said.

DNA and tattoos were needed to make most of the identifications.

The Conception caught fire shortly after 3 a.m., about 20 miles off the coast of Southern California, on the last day of a three-day diving trip. Ventura County firefighters arrived on the scene within 15 minutes, but it was already engulfed in flames, the fire department said.

The 75-foot boat began sinking into the water around 7:20 a.m. later the same morning. It was pulled from the water in mid-September and taken to Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme.

The tragic incident remains under investigation by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the National Transportation Safety Board.