California scuba boat captain is jailed for four years for 2019 disaster that killed 34

The scuba dive boat captain responsible for the deaths of 34 individuals has been sentenced. 

Captain Jerry Boylan, 69, was previously found guilty in November of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer, for the 2019 maritime travesty that prompted congressional reform.

Boylan's charges are often referred to as as seaman's manslaughter, a term coined before the Civil War to hold steamboat captains and crew accountable.

When Boylan's scuba diving boat caught fire and sank off the coast of Santa Barbara on September 2 of that year, he was one of the first to jump overboard, while crew and tourists were trapped below deck.

The captain has been given four years in custody and three years supervised release for criminal negligence.

Captain Jerry Boylan, 69, (pictured) was previously found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer, for the 2019 maritime travesty that killed 34 people

The Conception is pictured in flames on September 2, 2019, off the coast of Santa Barbara

The vessel fire was the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history (Pictured: The burned hull of the dive boat Conception is brought to the surface by a salvage team off Santa Cruz Island, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2019)

The maximum sentence for his conviction was 10 years in custody. 

His defense tried limiting Boylan's sentence to five years on probation with the first three being under house arrest. 

'While the loss of life here is staggering, there can be no dispute that Mr. Boylan did not intend for anyone to die,' his lawyers wrote in a sentencing memo.

'Indeed, Mr Boylan lives with significant grief, remorse, and trauma as a result of the deaths of his passengers and crew.'

The boat, the Conception, on its final night of a three-night scuba diving trip, was anchored off the Channel Islands, 25 miles south of Santa Barbara. It sank less than 100 feet from shore.

The captain (right) has been given four years in custody and three years supervised release for criminal negligence. His lawyer (left) tried placing the blame on the owner of Conception

A photo collage of the 34 victims of the Sept. 2, 2019 fire aboard the dive boat

Pictured: A woman gets emotional after placing flowers at a memorial for the victims of the Conception

Pictured: Barbara Chan (center) talks to the media about her brother, Scott and niece Kendra who were both killed in the Conception boat fire in front of the U.S. Federal Building

The victims, whose ages ranged between 16 and 62, according to USA Today, were aboard the dive boat for a variety of reasons, from celebrating a birthday and traveling the world to working as a deckhand.

Four of Boylan's crew members who jumped ship after him also survived. 

Although the cause of the blaze remains unknown, Boylan's attorneys previously tried placing the blame on the boat owner Glen Fritzler.

He and his wife owned Truth Aquatics Inc., which operated the Conception and two other scuba dive boats.

Boylan's attorneys accused the co-owner of fostering a overly-relaxed workplace environment - 'the Fritzler way' as the crew referred to it. Under his leadership, no captain assigned a roving night watch.

Captain Jerry Boylan was the first to jump overboard when the ship Conception caught fire

Pictured: Boylan, arrives to federal court in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, where he was indicted Boylan on 34 counts of seaman’s manslaughter

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Boylan failed to thoroughly teach safety precautions and firefighting to his crew.

Because Boylan did not post the roving night watch, the fire was able to spread faster throughout the vessel.

While the criminal trial is finally over after five years, several civil lawsuits remain ongoing.