Kristian Takvam Killed in Diving Boat Fire near Santa Cruz Island [Santa Barbara, CA]

Company’s VP of Engineering Among 34 Killed in Santa Barbara County Boat Fire

 
SANTA BARBARA, CA (September 9, 2019) – After the diving boat fire early last Monday near Santa Cruz Island, police identified a fatal victim as Kristian Takvam.
 
According to San Francisco-based company Brilliant, Takvam, 34, is the company’s vice president of engineering. He was with his colleague, Caroline McLaughlin, on the Conception.
 
Flames engulfed the 75-foot diving vessel around 3:00 AM, on Labor Day. Emergency responders arrived just off the coast of Southern California. 39 people, including six crew members, resided on board during the accident.
 
Furthermore, five crew members were able to escape the fire. However, 33 passengers and one crew member in the lower deck were trapped as a result of the flames.
 
The boat sank four hours later and search teams eventually recovered a total of 33 bodies. On Friday, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Office also issued a report revealing that the victims died of smoke inhalation rather than burns.
 
The 31 other victims are identified as: Neal Baltz, Patricia Beitzinger, Kristy Finstad, Evanmichel Quitasol, Nicole Quitasol, Angela Quitasol, Fernisa Sison, Michael Storm Quitasol, Allie Kurtz, Raymond Scott Chan, Kendra Chen, Steve Salika, Tia Salika, Diana Salika, Berenice Felipe Alvarez, Mike Kohls, Charles McIlvain, Marybeth Guiney, Lisa Fiedler, Daniel Garcia, Yulia Krashennaya, Kristian Takvam, Adrian Dahood-Fritz, Andrew Fritz, Vaidehi Campbell, Kaustubh Nirmal, Sanjeeri Deopujari, Justin Dignam, Ted Strom, Wei Tan and Sunil Singh Sandhu.
 
Authorities later served search warrants at Truth Aquatics’ offices, the Southern California company that owned the diving vessel. However, no further details have been released at this time. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire.

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Sweet Lawyers sends our sincerest condolences to the loved ones of Kristian Takvam during this difficult time.

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If you lost a loved one in this tragic incident, you can reach out to Sweet Lawyers. We have over 40 years of experience in the legal field. As a result, we know what it takes to win your wrongful death case. We will fight to help you achieve the justice and compensation that your family deserves. Call us today for a free consultation at (800) 674 7852 and speak to an experienced legal professional in your area. In addition, contact us 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Above all, we are here for you.