oct2py import successful, any calls to oct2py crashes python

Question

I added C:\Octave\Octave-4.0.1\bin to my PATH and can successfully import oct2py, but subsequent calls to oct2py crashes the python kernel. The kernel crashes in command line python, IPython and Spyder.

Sample code:

from oct2py import Oct2Py    # works with no errors
oc = Oct2Py(executable="C:/Octave/Octave-4.0.1/bin/octave-cli.exe")  # also no errors
oc = Oct2Py()  # also returns with no errors.

y = oc.zeros(3,3)   # instantly kills the python

I have tried the default Oct2Py factory and tried to initialize it with the executable, but neither seems to work.

The speed to which the kernel blows up feels like a linking error of some sort, but I'm not sure.

Here are my Python and Octave versions:

Python 2.7.11 |Anaconda 2.5.0 (64-bit)| (default, Feb 16 2016, 09:58:36) [MSC v.1500 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
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octave:1>

UPDATE:

I discovered I can push data into Octave (e.g., oc.push('y',5) creates a .mat temp file with the variable y assigned the value of 5), but pulling data (e.g., oc.pull('y')) kills python.