Get Back onboard Now!

'Get back onboard now!'

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

In the hours after cruise liner Costa Concordia struck rocks off Italy, a port official urged Captain Francesco Schettino, who had abandoned ship, to return on board and help evacuation efforts.

But the captain, who appeared to be on a lifeboat with his deputy, said: "I am not going." Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:

Livorno port official Captain Gregorio De Falco: "There are people stuck onboard. Go now with your lifeboat to the right side under the bow ... Get on the ship and tell us how many people, children, women and passengers are there. You may have managed to save yourself but it will really go badly ... I will create a lot of trouble for you. Get onboard, for f***'s sake!"

Schettino: "I'm begging you."

De Falco: "No, I am begging you."

Schettino: "I am already ... here. I am not going anyway, I am here."

De Falco: "What are you doing?"

Schettino: "I am here to coordinate."

De Falco: "What are you coordinating there? You need to get back onboard. Are you refusing to do so?"

Schettino: "No, I'm not refusing."

De Falco: "Get back on board, it's an order. Do not think about anything else. You have declared abandon ship. I am in command now. Get back on board! Is that clear? Are you listening to me? Go and call me directly from the boat. There are already bodies, Schettino."

Schettino: "How many are there?"

De Falco: "One for sure, I heard that. You are the one who is supposed to tell me how many, damn it!"

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

De Falco: "What do you want to do? Go home? It is dark so you want to go home? Get back. Right now!"

Schettino: "I am with my deputy [on the lifeboat]."

De Falco: "Get back onboard, you two. You and your deputy must get back on board, do you understand? You return on board now, get ON B.O.A.R.D! And you will tell me immediately how many people there are."

Schettino: "Ok, captain."

De Falco: "Go immediately!"

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Five more bodies found in sunk liner

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Divers searching for survivors inside Costa Concordia found five more bodies yesterday as prosecutors grilled the captain.

The bodies were discovered after the Italian navy used explosives to blow holes in the wreck of the Costa Concordia to help in the hunt for those still missing after Friday's disaster off the Tuscan island of Giglio.

The bodies bring the toll to 11, leaving still missing two dozen of the 4,200 people on board when the ship went down.

Earlier, officials revised the number of missing to 29, double that of before.

Captain Francesco Schettino, 52, is being interrogated by prosecutors who have accused him of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship before all the passengers were rescued. He has not yet been formally charged.

A judge was to rule whether to grant bail for Schettino, arrested on Saturday along with first officer Ciro Ambrosio.

The Italian press reported that as the vessel began to pitch over, crew members initiated the evacuation procedure themselves - 15 minutes before Schettino eventually gave the command.

"It was bravado, Schettino was showing off, clowning around, it was incredibly stupid.

"I would sentence