While the investigation continues into the four U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) petty officers charged in the fatal Dec. 20 boat crash on the San Diego Bay, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) acknowledged this month that a crew member was using a cell phone at the time of the crash. On Aug. 11, the board issued a letter to the Coast Guard making two recommendations for cell phone use aboard its vessels. “The boat operations and safety officers will review it and figure out what action to take. There was already a policy in place Coast Guard-wide that came out back in July and one before that on the regional level here,” said Dan Dewell, spokesman for the 11th Coast Guard District, which includes San Diego. The collision between a 33-foot USCG boat and a 26-foot Sea Ray runabout occurred during the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights in December, killing 8-year-old Anthony DeWeese from Rancho Peñasquitos and injuring four others. The NTSB letter referenced the crash and another Dec. 5 Coast Guard crash in Charleston, S.C. as confirmed instances in which cell phones and similar devices were being used while the boats were operating. “The issue had come up in the course of normal safety reviews and it’s something that we have been pushing out,” Dewell said. “The primary purpose of the boat crew is to remain vigilant. So anything that is a distraction is something that we train people to avoid.” In the letter, the NTSB recommended the Coast Guard develop national and local policies to address the issue and to develop an advisory to the maritime industry that promotes awareness of the risks posed by cell phone use, also encouraging the development of policies on the matter. The NTSB asked for a response from the Coast Guard within 90 days. As for the legal proceedings, the Article 32 investigation — similar to a criminal trial — is still being coordinated. The investigation will take place in the coming weeks in either San Diego or at the 11th District headquarters in Alameda. “There’s so many players involved that getting a schedule for a hearing is challenging,” Dewell said.