The bodies of 25 people have been located after a Santa Cruz boat fire with nine people missing

Rescuers continue to find the bodies of people who were aboard a boat when it went up in flame, with at least 25 dead and nine still missing.

The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed 34 people have died. Picture: VCFD

Rescue crews have retrieved 25 bodies following a devastating boat fire near southern California’s Santa Cruz Island, officials say.

Nine people remain missing after a deadly blaze tore through a 23-metre boat, the “Conception”, which had been on a three-day scuba diving excursion to the Channel Islands.

The captain of the doomed vessel who made a chilling distress call described how all of his passengers were trapped below deck — “with no escape hatch”.

Audio of the harrowing 3.14am recording includes a Coast Guard operator first frantically asking for information on the emergency off the coast of southern California.

“What is the emergency? Over. … Conception, what is the emergency? Over!” the operator says.

A man who later identifies himself as the captain responds: “On board a vessel on fire.”

“Your vessel is on fire? Roger. Are you aboard the Conception?” the Coast Guard worker asks.

The captain confirms he is from the craft and says, “There’s 33 people on-board the vessel on fire. They can’t get off.”

In all, 39 passengers were aboard. Five people managed to escape with the aid of a nearby pleasure craft.

BREAKING Listen to the Mayday Call from the Diving Boat that caught fire off of the coast of Southern California. @nbcbayareahttps://t.co/pldCktQvGq pic.twitter.com/qCK0V1yXVl

— John Zuchelli (@tvzuke) September 2, 2019

In the distress call, the Coast Guard worker asked: “Are they locked inside the boat? Roger. Can you get back on board and unlock the doors so they can get off? Roger. You don’t have any firefighter gear at all, no fire extinguishers or anything?”

The captain’s reply is unclear.

The Coast Guard operator says: “Is this the captain of the Conception?”

“Roger,” the man says.

The Coast Guard worker asks: “Was that all the crew that jumped off?”

The unidentified captain replies: “Roger.”

The operator asks: “Is the vessel fully engulfed now?”

The captain replies: “Roger. And there’s no escape hatch for any of the people on-board.”

The Coast Guard worker asks: “How far away are you from the boat right now?”

The captain’s answer is unclear amid the static.

“Are there any other vessels in that area that can help with firefighting?” the operator asks.

Only static can be heard on the recording.

Firefighters respond to a boat fire off the coast of southern California. Picture: Ventura County Fire Department via AP.

The Coast Guard worker is then heard putting out a general distress call, saying it “received a report of a vessel on fire with 33 people, correction, 34 people, trapped below deck … Any vessel in the area that can rend any assistance, please do so.”

A man responds through the emergency radio channel, “I heard a mayday call there … I’m 15 minutes away from that location. Would I be of assistance in that time frame?”

The operator replies, “If you could respond, we would appreciate it. Also, if you have any firefighting gear, hose, anything like that, that would be great.”

Another nearby boat — the Grape Escape, which rescued crew members including the captain — is involved in another exchange with an emergency operator.

“Is the captain of the vessel on your vessel?” a Coast Guard worker asks the captain of the Grape Escape, who replies yes.

All five crew members including the captain were on the bridge at the time of the pre-dawn fire and escaped, authorities said. Picture: Mike ELIASON / Santa Barbara County Fire Department / AFP.

Heavy.com first reported on the audio.

Audio was also posted online of a man screaming, “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” and “I can’t breathe!”

Five crew members including the captain were on the bridge at the time of the pre-dawn fire and escaped, authorities said.

Two suffered leg injuries, according to the LA Times. One crew member was still missing.

There were six crew members among the 39 people aboard the “Conception” at the time.

It’s unclear what efforts those who survived made to help the trapped passengers.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff, Bill Brown, said police interviewed the men but didn’t disclose what they said.

People hug each other as they await news outside of the Truth Aquatics office in Santa Barbara. Picture: AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa.

According to a report, three passengers on-board had celebrated their birthdays hours before the fatal fire broke out — including a 17-year-old girl who was there with her parents.

Dave Reid, a scuba diver who has frequently gone on expeditions on the boat and runs an underwater camera business with his wife, said it is among a fleet of “the safest and best maintained” vessels he has seen.

He said the operator, Truth Aquatics, has immaculate boats and its crew is top notch.

But Mr Reid, who is familiar with the boat’s configuration, notes all divers sleep on the lowest level.

He said divers are not locked into that level but if a fire erupted above them it would be difficult for any to escape through a narrow stairway.

The Conception diving boat eventually sank 20 metres offshore in 20 metres of water.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

— With AP and Reuters