High school students, a teacher and his child, and a loving family celebrating their fathers birthday are among those presumed to have died in a boat fire in California.
Officials believe all 34 passengers on a scuba diving excursion off the coast of Santa Cruz died after the fire broke out just after 3am on Monday, causing the boat to sink.
The flames spread so rapidly they blocked off both exits out of the lower deck, where passengers and one crew member were sleeping in tight quarters.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said they believe no one would have had the chance to escape due to how quickly the blaze developed.
Rescue searches have ended without any being found alive, after 20 bodies were pulled from the vessel and four to six others have been spotted on the ocean floor.
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It is not yet known what started the fire onboard the 75 foot boat, named the Conception, which had embarked on a three-day diving excursion.
Authorities have not released victims names but victims range from teenagers to people in their 60s.
Susana Rosas of Stockton, revealed with a broken heart in a Facebook post that her three daughters Evan, Nicole, and Angela Rose Quitasol, were onboard and are still missing.
She said they were celebrating their dad Michael Quitasols birthday along with stepmum Fernisa Sison during the Labor Day weekend trip.
The womens stepdad Chris Rosas told the Los Angeles Times that just two weeks ago Angela was the maid of honour at her sister Evitas wedding, while Evan and Nicole were bridesmaids.
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Angela was a science teacher at a Stockton middle school and was wonderful with kids, and Nicole, who worked as a bartender, loved the outdoors, loved animals, loved and lived by the sea.
Evan was a nurse at St. Josephs Medical Center of Stockton, where her father and stepmum Sison had worked after attending nursing school.
Rosas told the Times: Theyre the most kind, most loving people Ive ever met — and Im not just saying that because theyre family.
The way they interacted with anyone they came across, they were wonderful. They were outstanding girls. Thats about all I can tell you right now.
The Pacific Collegiate School, which teaches students aged 12 to 18, has also confirmed some students and parents were on the vessel but not on a school-sponsored trip.
In a statement posted on its website, the school said: Our hearts and thoughts are withRead More – Source
