Boat Fire: Coast Guard Will Reconsider Vessel Safety Improvements That Were Earlier Rejected

Days after the Los Angeles Times reported the U.S. Coast Guard had rejected federal recommendations that could help prevent boating tragedies, a Coast Guard leader said the agency will reconsider the measures in the aftermath of the Labor Day fire that killed 34 people on the Conception dive boat.

On Thursday, a House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation quizzed the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board about passenger safety on waterways.

At the start of the hearing, several Congress members said they were troubled to learn from the Times investigation that the Coast Guard had often ignored NTSB safety recommendations to improve fire-safety measures for nearly 20 years. The Coast Guard has the sole authority to mandate safety protocols on vessels.

Read more at the Los Angeles Times

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