Truth Aquatics, the owner of the Conception Dive boat that caught fire and sunk last month near Santa Cruz Island, killing 34 people, has announced an indefinite suspension of operations for its other two vessels that operate out of the Santa Barbara Harbor.
Both vessels have been idled since the Conception disaster on Sept. 2.
“With the continued calls and request for tours, we want to announce that we are officially suspending all operations of our Truth Aquatic fleet for a to-be-determined amount of time,” the company said in a posting on its website.
“We apologize to our customers who have been seeking reservations as well as those with reservations – and truly appreciate the expressions of support.
“Right now we feel it’s important dedicate our entire efforts to make our boats models of new regulations that we will continue to work on with the NTSB and Coast Guard.”
In addition to the Conception, Truth Aquatics operates the 80-foot Vision and the 65-foot Truth.
The tragedy occurred in the early morning hours on Sept. 2 as the 75-foot Conception was anchored in Platts Harbor at the end of a three-day Labor Day Weekend diving excursion.
All those who died — 33 passengers and one crew members — were sleeping on the bottom deck of the vessel. Five crew members who were on the top deck survived the fire.
The charred wreckage from the boat eventually was raised from the ocean floor 65 feet below and transported by barge to Port Hueneme in Ventura County for investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
What sparked the deadly fire remains unknown, and the Associated Press reported late last month that investigators have concluded their examination of the boat without determining the blaze’s cause.
Pieces of the vessel reportedly have been sent to labs for additional testing.
In response to the Associated Press report, the Fritzler family, owners of Truth Aquatics, issued a statement through its attorney:
“As we await the official findings, the preliminary insight is unfortunate. For the sake of the victims, their loved ones, and the crew, Glen (Fritzler) and his family want answers.
“It has become Glen’s personal mission that this never happens in the passenger boat industry again.
“Glen is investing into additional independent investigation efforts to do everything he can to shed more light on what started the fire.”
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.