SANTA CRUZ — Two students from a Santa Cruz high school and two parents were among the passengers killed in a boat fire off the Santa Barbara coast this weekend.
The identities of the students and parents have not been released, but a Pacific Collegiate School confirmed that students were on board the Conception, which carried dozens of divers for a scuba trip over Labor Day.
“I anticipate it’s going to be a difficult day as we’re awaiting news," said Maria Reitano, head of teachers for the charter school, which covers grade seven through 12.
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"We have a number of crisis counselors coming to assist our staff in supporting students and families this morning," she said to reporters Tuesday morning. "We anticipate that there’s going to be a lot of emotions and it’s going to be a difficult day“
Authorities have confirmed that at least 25 people perished from the fire.
Among them was another Santa Cruz local. Kristy Finstad, who spent much of her life on or in the ocean, was a marine biology graduate from UC, Santa Cruz and ran the Worldwide Diving Adventures business based in Santa Cruz.