Night watchman could have saved lives of 33 divers and one crew member in deadly Conception boat fire - as investigators say some of the victim's bodies were found wearing shoes showing they were trying to escape the deadly blaze

A probe has revealed that a night watchman could have saved the lives of 33 divers and one crew member in the deadly Conception scuba dive boat fire off the coast of southern California last year.   

Investigators announced at a hearing Tuesday that the deaths of the 34 victims could have been avoided had the right safety protocols been in place on board the doomed vessel when the fire broke out in the early hours of September 2, 2019. 

The lack of a required roving night watchman delayed the detection of the fire meaning the victims learned of their fate too late to escape, investigators told the National Transportation Safety Board  .   

The Labor Day 2019 tragedy aboard the Conception is one of California's deadliest maritime disasters and has prompted both criminal and safety investigations including proceedings against the boat's surviving captain.  

A probe has revealed that a night watchman could have saved the lives of 33 divers and one crew member in the deadly Conception scuba dive boat fire off the coast of southern California last year. Pictured the deadly blaze  

Post-accident photo of the Conception bunkroom looking from the starboard aisle forward and to port released by NTSB Tuesday 

Captain Jerry Boylan and four crew members were asleep above deck when the fire broke out and survived by jumping into the water.

Questions instantly arose over whether they tried to help the victims below deck before escaping the inferno.

It later emerged Boylan made two mayday calls on discovering the blaze.

It has since transpired that the crew's decision to sleep above deck was a violation of Coast Guard regulations requiring a roving watchman and investigators said the lack of a watchman was a costly decision. 

Horrifying new details have also emerged about the final moments of the victims trapped below deck.   

Investigators told the NTSB that some of the victim's bodies were found wearing shoes when they were recovered from the scene.

Photo taken during accident voyage of devices plugged in to charge at the port side aft corner of the salon on the Conception released by NTSB Tuesday. The blaze began toward the back of the main deck salon area, where divers had plugged in phones, flashlights and other items

Layout of the Conception. Investigators told the NTSB that some of the victim's bodies were found wearing shoes when they were recovered from the scene

The bunkroom escape hatch on Vision, a similar Truth Aquatics dive vessel. The escape hatch on the Conception seen from the salon in a photo taken during a previous voyage

Location of the Conception fire (red triangle) in relation to emergency response asset locations

This shows the victims were awake and trying to escape the deadly blaze before they were overcome by the smoke, they said.

Coroner reports list smoke inhalation as the cause of death for all 34 victims.

However the cause of the fire remains a mystery as investigators said it was not possible to determine its origin because the boat burned and sank. 

Captain Jerry Boylan and four crew members were asleep above deck and survived by jumping into the water

Authorities do know the blaze began toward the back of the main deck salon area, where divers had plugged in phones, flashlights and other items with lithium ion batteries that can spread flames quickly.

NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt outlined the chronology of events surrounding the fire as he opened Tuesday's hearing.

He said the fire began in the early hours of the morning when five crew members were asleep in their upper-deck crew berthing and 33 passengers and one crew member were asleep two decks below in the bunkroom.

A crew member on the upper deck was woken by a noise and noticed the fire.

They alerted the remaining four crew members and, at 3:14 a.m., the captain radioed a distress message to the Coast Guard.

Sumwalt said the five crew members tried to save the people below deck through the main deck salon but - blocked by fire and smoke - could not reach them and jumped overboard.   

Two got back on the boat and tried again to save the 34 people below deck but had to evacuate the boat once again.

The five crew members who had been sleeping on the upper deck survived with two injured in the incident. 

The latest developments in the investigation come as court documents reveal federal criminal charges against the captain are imminent.  

The probe is separate from the NTSB's proceedings.

The federal regulatory agency does not have enforcement powers and must submit its suggestions to bodies like the Federal Aviation Administration or the Coast Guard, which have repeatedly rejected some of the board's safety recommendations after other disasters.

 Investigators announced at a hearing Tuesday that the deaths of the 34 victims could have been avoided had the right safety protocols been in place on board the doomed vessel

The burned hull of the dive boat as it was brought to the surface after the tragedy last year 

The Coast Guard has issued additional safety recommendations for boats since the blaze, including limiting the charging of lithium-ion batteries and the use of power strips and extension cords.   

The families of 32 of the victims also have filed claims against the boat owners, Glen and Dana Fritzler, and the boat company, Truth Aquatics. 

In turn, the Fritzlers and the company have filed a legal claim to shield them from damages under a maritime law that limits liability for vessel owners.

Court filings show they have offered to settle lawsuits with dozens of victims' relatives. 

A standing memorial to the 34 people who died aboard the Conception dive boat along the coast near the Santa Barbara harbor 

Red crime scene tape blocks off a memorial for the victims of the Conception dive boat in September last year