Family members mourn loss of two Singaporeans in California boat blaze
Tan Wei (pictured) is one of the Singaporeans among 34 passengers caught in a boat blaze off Santa Cruz, California on the morning of Sept 2, 2019.
SINGAPORE — One is from a family of avid divers, and the other started diving just two months ago.
Singaporeans Tan Wei, 26, and Sunil Singh Sandhu, 46, were listed among the passengers on board the dive boat Conception that caught fire early Monday morning (Sept 2) off the coast of Santa Cruz Island in California, United States.
The bodies of all but one of the 34 victims aboard the 23m vessel have been recovered.
Ms Cheerin Tan, who is Tan Wei’s elder sister, told CNA on Friday that DNA tests have confirmed that one of the bodies recovered is her sister.
She added that their father will be flying to Los Angeles and join their older brother Sejay Tan, who had flown there earlier. Arrangements will be made for Tan Wei's cremation, which is set to take place in Santa Barbara on Saturday.
“It is with great sadness I announce the passing of my beloved little sister,” Ms Tan, 29, said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Speaking to CNA, Ms Tan said that their family members are all avid divers, and Tan Wei — who got her diving licence together with their brother when she was 17 — wanted to explore the area and had been excited about the diving trip.
"She really enjoys outdoor sports so it’s at least comforting to know that she was doing something she loved in the last few moments of her life," the sister said.
"She’s a very, very sweet girl who’s like a little bright star among her friends. Bursting with energy and joy," Ms Tan added.
Tan Wei graduated earlier this year with a master’s degree at UC Berkeley and moved to Santa Barbara in June, where she started working as a data scientist.
The other Singaporean on board the boat, Mr Sunil Singh Sandhu, had lived and worked in the US for more than 20 years, The New Paper reported. He did his master's and PhD at Stanford University and worked as a research assistant in Palo Alto, California.
Speaking to TNP, Mr Singh’s father said that his son had learned to dive just two months ago.
"My son had a beautiful character. He was always smiling and never short-tempered. That is how I will always remember him," Mr Soljit Singh said.
The 34 victims of the boat fire included passengers and one crew member who were sleeping below deck when the fire started.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said that the two exits, a stairway to the galley and an escape hatch, may have both been blocked by fire.
The five survivors — the Conception's captain and four crew members — were on deck when the flames erupted and escaped in an inflatable lifeboat.
The Los Angeles Times reported that preliminary investigations suggest serious safety issues surrounding the incident, including the lack of a “roaming night watchman” whose role is to keep awake and alert passengers in the event of fire or other dangers.
Sources told the newspaper that the authorities are also looking into whether the crew was adequately trained, and if passengers were given a complete safety briefing.
The incident is the worst maritime disaster in the recent history of California. Among the victims were a family of five, a teacher and his daughter, and a diving instructor and marine biologist. AGENCIES
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that the incident happened off the coast of Santa Cruz. This is inaccurate. The incident happened off the coast of Santa Cruz Island. We are sorry for the error.
