Costa Concordia transcript reveals captain’s ‘salute’

Posted on 13 July 2012

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A black box transcript published by an Italian newspaper indicated that Francesco Schettino, the infamous captain of the doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship, was in fact “saluting” a colleague ashore with a too-close pass when the ship struck a reef and sank in January.

The ship was carrying 4,229 people from dozens of countries when it struck the rocks and slowly keeled over, prompting a chaotic nighttime evacuation. Thirty-two people died. Schettino left the sinking ship while frantic passengers were still trying to escape.

The transcript, published by the Corriere della Sera newspaper, reveals the dialogue that occurred among officers immediately after the trouble began.

“Our ass is dragging along the seabed!” one officer yelled.

“What did we hit?” Schettino asked.

“The reef.”

“It was the salute that he wanted,” a third officer said.

“The salute” was a maneuver Schettino allegedly agreed to perform to acknowledge a former crewmate on the island.

Click here for the report by Canada’s National Post.

In a related story, MSNBC describes the David vs. Goliath fight that survivors are waging against Costa Cruises. Six months after the disaster, hundreds of survivors are challenging the settlements the cruise line has offered.

By the terms of the ticket agreement, passengers who want to challenge the $14,500 settlement offer have to do so in an Italian court. Liability for loss of life is limited to $75,000.

That amount is incredibly low, compared with what would happen in an airline accident, lawyer John Arthur Eaves Jr., who is representing more than 100 Concordia survivors, told MSNBC.

“They’ve offered the people $14,000. That would include their tickets, that would include their property and that would include all their future problems that they have received from this thing. I think that’s disrespectful, and I believe it’s horrible to the value of life,” Eaves said, noting that the families of a person lost in a plane crash are offered between $2 million and $5 million.

Click here for that report.

Comments

4 Friday, 13 July 2012 22:57

By GARY THE CRUISER

All Ships do have collision alarms, but in this case they were probably all turned off, just like they are when in port. If you don't turn them off in a port or waterway, they are relentless and very annoying.

As far as the suits are concerned, I will be highly surprised if any of the passengers receive any money higher than what has been offered. It's only in America that you see the extreme dollar amounts. The US Supreme Court has always ruled before in favor of other countries laws governing these types of problems.

You have to remember the key facts of these suits. The ship is registered in a non US country. The ship is primarily owned by a non US company and the passengers were non US citizens. And the accident happened in non US waters. The attorneys who filed these law suits are typical of US attorneys seeking money for greedy reasons. I really don't think they will prevail but it will be interesting to watch.

3 Friday, 13 July 2012 19:46

By marinebizsites

In the age of GPS mapping and computers, it's bloody hard to believe that a ship like that wouldn't have an infallible submerged object anti-collision system.

2 Friday, 13 July 2012 16:45

By vissionquest

The concepet that this fellow did rise to the rank of captain is inconceivable. The passengers were also a victim of fraud, because they were led to believe that there was an experienced, reponsible person in charge, which I am convinced the company knew was not true.

1 Friday, 13 July 2012 15:42

By Gordon

"It's never enough" As the lawyer's are looking at their bottom line.

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