The pain of the ill-fated scuba diving tour was felt across the United States and far beyond.
An exceptional group of people had boarded the Conception vessel for the three-day excursion in California's rugged Channel Islands before the boat erupted in fire on Labor Day and sank, killing 34 people.
They included highly accomplished engineers, biologists, computer scientists, nurses, artists and photographers. Several had graduated from top universities with advanced degrees. All shared a love of nature and adventure.