The jury decided that the captain, Jerry Nehl Boylan, was guilty of “misconduct, gross negligence and inattention to his duties,” charges that amount to the “seaman’s manslaughter” characterization. Five crew members, including Boylan, jumped into the water and escaped as the fast-moving fire burned the boat at 3 a.m. on Sept. 2. Earlier, the National Safety Transportation Board found that the owner of the boat, Truth Aquatics, failed to provide effective oversight of the boat and crew operations, and that the lack of oversight allowed the fire to grow. His lawyers blamed Truth Aquatics for not requiring night patrols or firefighting training. After the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said, “This ship captain’s unpardonable cowardice led to the deaths of 34 lives on Labor Day, 2019.

Source: New York Times November 08, 2023 16:18 UTC