The United States Coast Guard is searching for 34 missing people after a boat caught fire just off Santa Cruz Island in Southern California early Monday morning, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department said.

Five people were also rescued from the boat, one of whom was being transported to shore with moderate injuries, the spokesman said.

The scuba diving boat was anchored north of the island when it caught fire, according to Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol Officer Nathan Alldredge. The boat was named “Conception,” he said.

By The New York Times

A 75-foot boat by that name had been scheduled for a three-day trip in the area beginning on Saturday, according to the website of Truth Aquatics, a Santa Barbara tour operator.

The fire department responded to the fire at about 3:28 a.m. The United States Coast Guard in Los Angeles/Long Beach did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Niraj Chokshi is a general assignment reporter based in New York. Before joining The Times in 2016, he covered state governments for The Washington Post. He has also worked at The Atlantic, National Journal and The Recorder, in San Francisco. @nirajc

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