Dale Sheckler, 62, had planned to join the Labor Day excursion aboard the Conception to take photos for an upcoming article in California Diver News. Then hip surgery derailed his plans. A massive fire on board killed 34.
A commercial diving boat caught fire near the shoreline of Santa Cruz Island, Calif., early Monday. Many aboard the boat were believed to be sleeping below deck when the fire broke out in the pre-dawn hours.
Sheckler, who still writes for the magazine he sold a few years ago, described the Conception as an “excellently maintained vessel” with a quality crew. Glen Fritzler, the owner of Truth Aquatics, the company that ran the Conception, won a California Scuba Service Award last year.In Sheckler’s experience, he said, almost immediately after boarding the boat — and often before leaving the dock — the crew always gave an extensive safety briefing.
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