11 Dead, Dozens Still Missing After Italian Cruise Ship Runs Aground When Captain Changed Course

At least 11 people are dead and 29 still missing after the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Italy over the weekend. Reportedly, the vessel was some 300 meters from some rocks off the coast of Isola del Giglio when the Costa Concordia struck a rock that wasn't on any charts. The cruise ship then limped along for another kilometer before attempting to turn into the harbor at Porto Giglio, where the ship then listed violently 20° to starboard before coming to rest at a depth of 150 feet and at an 80° angle.

Reports indicate that the Costa Concordia had deviated from its route in a risky practice of blasting a salute to the island's populace from the ship's horn. About a half hour before the disaster, the head waiter's sister posted a message on her Facebook account that the ship was "going to pass real close". Costa Cruises Chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi said that the course of the 1000ft long ship is preprogrammed but could be manually overridden by the captain. The head waiter claimed he didn't even request that the captain perform the risky maneuver on his behalf.

Antonello Tievoli, 46, the head waiter of the Costa Concordia, is “tormented by a sense of guilt” over the tragedy, his family said, even though he did not ask the captain to perform the sail-by.

His father, Giuseppe Tievoli, 82, said: “Antonello called me to say the ship would be passing by the island at around 9:30 and they would come and give us a whistle to say hello. It was something they often did.

“The ship obviously came too close. I don’t know if Antonello asked the captain to come near, but the responsibility is always and only the captain’s.”

Hours later, after the ship capsized, [Tievoli's sister] wrote [on her Facebook account]: “A tragedy, a deadful tragedy. I can’t believe it’s true. I just hope I will wake up and realise that it was a nightmare. The longest night of my life.”

Investigators, passengers and the Costa Cruise company alike are blaming the disaster on captain Francesco Schettino, who is currently under house arrest in his home outside of Naples and facing multiple charges of manslaughter. The 52 year old captain was reportedly dining with passengers when the wreck happened.



On Tuesday, the Italian Coast Guard released the transcript of Schnietto and Captain Georgio DeFalco, the Commander at Livorno:

De Falco: "This is De Falco speaking from Livorno. Am I speaking with the commander?"

Schettino: "Yes. Good evening, Cmdr. De Falco."

De Falco: "Please tell me your name."

Schettino: "I'm Cmdr. Schettino, commander."

De Falco: "Schettino? Listen Schettino. There are people trapped on board. Now you go with your boat under the prow on the starboard side. There is a pilot ladder. You will climb that ladder and go on board. You go on board and then you will tell me how many people there are. Is that clear? I'm recording this conversation, Cmdr. Schettino…"

Schettino: "Commander, let me tell you one thing…"

De Falco: "Speak up! Put your hand in front of the microphone and speak more loudly, is that clear?"

Schettino: "In this moment, the boat is tipping…"

De Falco: "I understand that, listen, there are people that are coming down the pilot ladder of the prow. You go up that pilot ladder, get on that ship and tell me how many people are still on board. And what they need. Is that clear? You need to tell me if there are children, women or people in need of assistance. And tell me the exact number of each of these categories. Is that clear? Listen Schettino, that you saved yourself from the sea, but I am going to… I'm going to make sure you get in trouble. …I am going to make you pay for this. Go on board, (expletive)!"

Schettino: "Commander, please…"

De Falco: "No, please. You now get up and go on board. They are telling me that on board there are still…"

Schettino: "I am here with the rescue boats, I am here, I am not going anywhere, I am here…"

De Falco: "What are you doing, commander?"

Schettino: "I am here to coordinate the rescue…"

De Falco: "What are you coordinating there? Go on board! Coordinate the rescue from aboard the ship. Are you refusing?"

Schettino: "No, I am not refusing."

De Falco: "Are you refusing to go aboard commander? Can you tell me the reason why you are not going?"

Schettino: "I am not going because the other lifeboat is stopped."

De Falco: "You go aboard. It is an order. Don't make any more excuses. You have declared 'abandon ship.' Now I am in charge. You go on board! Is that clear? Do you hear me? Go, and call me when you are aboard. My air rescue crew is there."

Schettino: "Where are your rescuers?"

De Falco: "My air rescue is on the prow. Go. There are already bodies, Schettino."

Schettino: "How many bodies are there?"

De Falco: "I don't know. I have heard of one. You are the one who has to tell me how many there are. Christ."

Schettino: "But do you realize it is dark and here we can't see anything…"

De Falco: "And so what? You want to go home, Schettino? It is dark and you want to go home? Get on that prow of the boat using the pilot ladder and tell me what can be done, how many people there are and what their needs are. Now!"

Schettino: "…I am with my second in command."

De Falco: "So both of you go up then … You and your second go on board now. Is that clear?"

Schettino: "Commander, I want to go on board, but it is simply that the other boat here … there are other rescuers. It has stopped and is waiting…"

De Falco: "It has been an hour that you have been telling me the same thing. Now, go on board. Go on board! And then tell me immediately how many people there are there."

Schettino: "OK, commander"

De Falco: "Go, immediately!"

Under Italian law, a captain who abandons ship can face up to 12 years imprisonment.
Divers from the Italian Navy have discovered five bodies after placing shaped explosive charges through different parts of the ships hull to reach isolated or submerged portions of the stricken vessel.

According to the Italian Coast Guard, there were 3,206 passengers on board along with 1,023 crew members at the time of its departure from the port of Civitaveccia. Among those still missing are a couple from White Bear Lake, MN, a Peruvian student who was tending bar, an Italian woman who was on her honeymoon and a five year old Italian girl names Dyanna Arlotti.

Salvage experts from Italy, the USA and the Netherlands expect that the Costa Concordia will be a total loss with damages of $500 million or more. The ship was constructed by Trieste-based shipbuilder Fincantieri Siestre Ponente in late 2005 and made its maiden voyage in July 2006.

Shares in Costa Cruises parent company, Carnival Cruises [NYSE: CCL] have declined 11% in trading since the accident took place.