The captain of a scuba dive boat that was the site of the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison, despite the U.S. Attorney’s apparent unhappiness over the ruling.
Jerry Nehl Boylan was the captain of the Conception when it caught fire and sank near Santa Cruz Island on Labor Day in 2019. In all, 33 passengers and one crew member died as a result, and the ensuing fallout prompted a number of changes to maritime regulations.