DIGNAM, Justin Carroll

Justin Carroll Dignam

DIGNAM, Justin Carroll (c. 1961-2019) was killed aboard the September 2, 2019 fire aboard the dive boat Conception at Santa Cruz Island. An avid scuba diver and water polo player, Justin Dignam was the founder and CEO of Big Fish Employer Services, a payroll management company.

"With a broken heart, I will lead us vigilantly as we await confirmation from the authorities," wrote Big Fish Employer Services president Jeff Hill. "We are honoring Justin with our actions by continuing to run the business that he built with honor and commitment."

USA Water Polo CEO Christopher Ramsey released a statement saying Justin was a passionate longtime member of the water polo community since playing in college and they're heartbroken to hear of his passing.

Dignam was from Anaheim, CA. He is survived by his wife, Christine, and children Taylor and Chandler. He was 58 years old.

In the News~

September 6, 2019 [mynewsla.com]: “Authorities Confirm Anaheim Man Died in Conception Boat Fire. Justin Carroll Dignam, 58, was positively identified by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s officials during a Friday morning news conference. Dignam was the founder and CEO of Big Fish Employer Services, a payroll management company. According to the Orange County Register, Big Fish Employer Services president Jeff Hill sent an email to the company’s clients on Tuesday informing them that Dignam was aboard the vessel when it caught fire and sank early Monday morning off the coast of Santa Barbara. “With a broken heart, I will lead us vigilantly as we await confirmation from the authorities,” Hill wrote in the email, according to the Register. That confirmation came Friday morning during a news conference in Santa Barbara. The Register reported that Dignam, a married father of two, was a veteran water polo player, having played at the University of Richmond and coached at Iona College and Wesleyan University. According to his biography on Big Fish website, Dignam worked for payroll company Automatic Data Processing for more than 17 years before starting his own company in 2003. “He is also active on the athletic playing field, having coached baseball, soccer and basketball in Anaheim Hills and Orange,” according to his biography. “Current hobbies include scuba diving and competing in masters water polo.” Only five people, all crew members, were able to escape the inferno that engulfed the dive boat Monday morning. Authorities said Friday morning the bodies of 33 of the 34 people who died have been recovered, but efforts were continuing to locate the remaining victim.”

November 11, 2019 [losangeles.cbslocal.com]: “Widow Sues Truth Aquatics Owner In Conception Boat Fire That Killed 34. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — The widow of a man who died when a dive boat caught fire off the Santa Barbara coast leaving 34 people dead is suing the vessel’s owners. Christine Dignam, who lost her husband Justin Dignam, filed her claim Monday in Los Angeles federal court. The lawsuit against Santa Barbara-based Truth Aquatics is the first from a relative of those who died on the boat. The lawsuit is a counterclaim to a lawsuit filed pre-emptively by owners of the boat, called the Conception, to protect them from liability under a quirk of maritime law. Three days after the boat burned and sank into the Pacific, the vessel’s owner filed a lawsuit in federal court asking for help blocking victims’ families from filing lawsuits and limiting how much can be paid out. The fire is the subject of ongoing criminal and safety inquiries by federal authorities. On Sept. 27, investigators had finished examining the dive boat but so far have found no cause for the fire. A two-week examination of the Conception ended without a conclusive cause, an official with knowledge of the investigation told the Associated Press. At 3:15 a.m. on Sept. 2, the U.S. Coast Guard and Ventura County Fire Department crews rushed to a mayday call that the “Conception” — a 75-foot-long charter dive boat carrying 39 people — was ablaze 20 yards off Platts Harbor on the north side of Santa Cruz Island, located about 30 miles west of the city of Ventura. Those aboard included six crew members and 33 passengers. Five crew members, including the captain, were above deck and jumped off the burning Conception. They somehow made it into a dingy and paddled to safety, where they were rescued by a nearby good Samaritan’s boat called the “Grape Escape.” The passengers, meanwhile, were all below deck at the time. Lawyers for the boat company did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit.”

November 12, 2019 [ ]: “Widow sues boat owner in fire off Santa Cruz Island that killed 34. LOS ANGELES (AP) — The widow of a man who died in a fiery dive boat disaster that killed 34 people in waters off California is suing the vessel's owners. Christine Dignam, who lost her husband Justin Dignam, filed her claim Monday in Los Angeles federal court. The lawsuit against Santa Barbara-based Truth Aquatics is the first from a relative of those who died on the boat. The lawsuit is a counterclaim to a lawsuit filed pre-emptively by owners of the boat, called the Conception, to protect them from liability under a quirk of maritime law. The fire is the subject of ongoing criminal and safety inquiries by federal authorities. The blaze's cause has not been determined. Lawyers for the boat company did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit.”