Yacht Company Sued Over Fire That Erupted During Party

The company whose Christmas party was ruined when a charter yacht caught fire in Marina del Rey filed a suit Monday against the company that operated the boat.

The Dec. 7 party that the Trust Co. of the West organized for its employees ended when fire destroyed the yacht and forced some passengers to dive into cold waters to save their lives. Several suffered burns.

The lawsuit, filed in Santa Monica Superior Court, charges that Sundowner Yacht Charters was negligent, engaged in reckless misconduct and used an unseaworthy vessel when it took 62 people in the waters of Marina del Rey.

Two hours into the cruise, the crew noticed sparks flying from the boat’s smokestack. The captain maneuvered the boat to a nearby dock, allowing most of the guests to disembark after making their way via a stairway from the upper deck. But then the 70-foot vessel began to drift, forcing some passengers to jump and swim to the dock, which also caught fire.

“It was just an intolerable situation,” said TCW Chief Financial Officer David Sandie, who said no alarm was sounded, no safety instructions were given and there was no help from the crew.

Michael Derem, president of Sundowner Yacht Charters, was not available for comment Monday, but previously maintained the fire spread so swiftly that the crew did not have time to pass out life jackets before guests left the boat.