Monday May 28, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Italy cruise wreck rescue halted; captain under house arrest

World Jan. 18, 2012 - 06:51PM JST ( 24 )

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Route taken by the ill-fated cruise liner, the Costa Concordia

Rescues divers retrieve a body from the stricken cruise liner Costa Concordia off the Tuscan island of Giglio

A Coastguard boat approaches the stricken cruise liner Costa Concordia

The stricken cruise liner Costa Concordia lies partially submerged off the Isola del Giglio

Emergency workers are searching for 29 people still missing on the Costa Concordia

An underwater photo taken inside the cruise ship Costa Concordia

A photo taken inside the cruise ship Costa Concordia

Italian prosecutors accuse Schettino and Ambrosio of abandoning ship before all the passengers were rescued.

Rescuers found a body in the wreckage early Tuesday, raising the death toll to 7

Italian prosecutors accuse the capitan and first officer of abandoning ship before all the passengers were rescued

Rescuers are searching for 29 people still unaccounted for from the wreck

Eleven people have been confirmed dead since the Costa Concordia ran aground on Friday

Divers are still looking for around two dozen missing people

Coastguards said the ship was currently stable

The navy used small explosives to blow holes in the keel to help rescue teams access submerged areas

Residents have said the ship was sailing far too close to the island

Cameramen film the stricken cruise liner Costa Concordia off the Isola del Giglio

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24 Comments

4

gelendestrasseJan. 18, 2012 - 07:03AM JST

This captain made enough blunders and mistakes that adding cowardice to the heap is just icing on the cake. Whomever promoted this guy to captain should be sacked as well.
1

OkinawamikeJan. 18, 2012 - 08:11AM JST

“too high-spirited and a daredevil.”

Then he should have become a stuntcar driver, dipstick!
1

NetNinjaJan. 18, 2012 - 09:37AM JST

This guy is going away for a long time.
3

ironchefJan. 18, 2012 - 09:50AM JST

the captain is whacked, but i am impressed by the port official. He didn't mince any words and let that captain have it.
1

TriumvereJan. 18, 2012 - 12:38PM JST

Dereliction of duty. He high-tailed it out of there leaving everyone else to sink.
0

smithinjapanJan. 18, 2012 - 12:42PM JST

“The captain defended his role on the direction of the ship after the collision, which in the captain’s opinion saved hundreds if not thousands of lives,”

Like piloting the ship off course to please a person from the island? Yep, saved thousands of lives by doing that. Oh, and he surely saved thousands of lives by bailing before almost anyone else and not returning to the ship when ordered!

How this coward has the gall to say otherwise is beyond me, save of course that I understand he is merely trying to save his own skin... which will soon, rightfully, be flayed.
0

nandakandamandaJan. 18, 2012 - 01:45PM JST

The chef said: "Aren't we getting a little close?"

I can guess what the Captain said when his ship crunched the rockberg and the lights went out:
0

viking68Jan. 18, 2012 - 01:51PM JST

NetNinjaJAN. 18, 2012 - 09:37AM JST

This guy is going away for a long time.

Apparently, there is a 12 year sentence awaiting him just for abandoning the boat.
0

Elbuda MexicanoJan. 18, 2012 - 02:25PM JST

This capitano bastardo, is such a COWARD and he has BLOOD all over his dirty, cowardly hands!! RIP poor dead folk on the Italian ship
0

ElvensilvanJan. 18, 2012 - 02:47PM JST

I wish there was a clearer accident timeline, from the point of impact to when the crew started to help passengers, to when the order to abandon ship was given, to when the captain left the ship, when the port official cited the captain, to when the captain gave out interviews and so forth.
3

USNinJapan2Jan. 18, 2012 - 05:15PM JST

It's even worse than this article lets on. Here's the entire conversation as translated by Reuters between the Captain and the Coast Guard...

Coast Guard: Hello.

Captain: Good evening, chief.

Coast Guard: Listen, this is De Falco from Livorno. Am I speaking with the captain?

Captain: Good evening, Chief De Falco.

Coast Guard: Tell me your name, please.

Captain: I am Captain Schettino, chief.

Coast Guard: Schettino?

Captain: Yes.

Coast Guard: Listen, Schettino. There are people trapped on board. Now, you go with your lifeboat. Under the bow of the ship, on the right side, there is a ladder. You climb on that ladder and go on board the ship. Go on board the ship and get back to me and tell me how many people are there. Is that clear. I am recording this conversation, Captain Schettino.

(Captain tries to speak but Coast Guard can't hear him clearly. Voices in the Coast Guard room.)

Coast Guard: Speak up! (captain tries to speak) Captain, put your hand over the microphone and speak in a louder voice!

Captain: At this moment the ship is listing.

Coast Guard: There are people who are coming down the ladder on the bow. Go back in the opposite direction, get back on the ship, and tell me how many people there are and what they have on board. Tell me if there are children, women and what type of help they need. And you tell me the number of each of these categories. Is that clear? Listen Schettino, perhaps you have saved yourself from the sea but I will make you look very bad. I will make you pay for this. Dammit, go back on board!

(Noise can be heard in the background. Apparently other Coast Guard officers are shouting to each other in the same room about "the ship, the ship")

Captain: Please ...

Coast Guard: There is no 'please' about it. Get back on board. Assure me you are going back on board!

Captain: I'm in a lifeboat, I am under here. I am not going anywhere. I am here.

Coast Guard: What are you doing, captain?

Captain: I am here to coordinate the rescue...

Coast Guard (interrupting): What are you coordinating there! Get on board! Coordinate the rescue from on board! Are you refusing?

Captain: No, I am not refusing.

Coast Guard: Are you refusing to go aboard, captain? Tell me the reason why you are not going back on board.

Captain: (inaudible)... there is a another lifeboat...

Coast Guard (interrupting, yelling): You get back on board! That is an order! There is nothing else for you to consider. You have sounded the "Abandon Ship." Now I am giving the orders. Get back on board. Is that clear? Don't you hear me?

Captain: I am going aboard.

Coast Guard: Go! Call me immediately when you are on board. My rescue people are in front of the bow.

Captain: Where is your rescue craft?

Coast Guard: My rescue craft is at the bow. Go! There are already bodies, Schettino. Go!

Captain: How many bodies are there?

Coast Guard: I don't know! ... Christ, you should be the one telling me that!

Captain: Do you realize that it is dark and we can't see anything?

Coast Guard: So, what do you want to do, to go home, Schettino?! It's dark and you want to go home? Go to the bow of the ship where the ladder is and tell me what needs to be done, how many people there are, and what they need! Now!

Captain: My second in command is here with me.

Coast Guard: Then both of you go! Both of you! What is the name of your second in command?

Captain: His name is Dmitri (static)"

Coast Guard: What is the rest of his name? (static) You and your second in command get on board now! Is that clear?

Captain: Look, chief, I want to go aboard but the other lifeboat here has stopped and is drifting. I have called ...

Coast Guard (interrupting): You have been telling me this for an hour! Now, go aboard! Get on board, and tell me immediately how many people there are!

Captain: OK, chief.

Coast Guard: Go! Immediately!
0

LagunaJan. 18, 2012 - 05:29PM JST

Hmph. Guess he didn't pay attention to that scene in "Top Gun":

Then you broke another one with that circus stunt fly-by. Top Gun rules of engagement exist for your safety and for that of your team. They're not flexible.

Woulda been a real short movie if Maverick's reckless actions ended the same way this captain's did.
0

FightingVikingJan. 18, 2012 - 05:54PM JST

I guess his name was misspelled... Should have been CRETINO...
0

lostrune2Jan. 18, 2012 - 06:55PM JST

We will soon know exactly what the captain was doing, before and after. There are eyewitnesses among his crew. Some of them will talk to save their asses.
0

MadvertsJan. 18, 2012 - 09:30PM JST

Tuto malo Francesco...pauverino.

Thanks for the translation US I just read it in French it seems similar.

Un-believable that a self-serving coward could be inm charge of that vessel. I've been in some tight situations before and always remarked that some people you didn't much care for shined in a moment of human desperation.

An apparent disgrace he seems. The coastguard's disgust understanderble. Next the captain will be pleading he can't swim...
0

FamilienproblemeJan. 18, 2012 - 11:01PM JST

Some of them will talk to save their asses.

But that won't make the talk true. I think the transcript provided by USNinJapan2 is quite enough, well, with a link as evidence. http://www.3news.co.nz/Transcript-Costa-Concordia-captain-Francesco-Schettino-and-Italian-coast-guard/tabid/417/articleID/239686/Default.aspx
0

FamilienproblemeJan. 18, 2012 - 11:04PM JST

I can guess what the Captain said when his ship crunched the rockberg and the lights went out:

"Momma!"?
0

nandakandamandaJan. 18, 2012 - 11:16PM JST

LOL @ Familienprobleme.
0

WilliBJan. 18, 2012 - 11:29PM JST

I can not judge about the details of what went wrong with the navigation. But the conversation with the coast guard speaks for itself. Coward!
0

FadamorJan. 19, 2012 - 01:37AM JST

It's almost like he was high. His conversation seemed to indicate an inability to concentrate.
0

Hide SuzukiJan. 19, 2012 - 03:54AM JST

Thanks for posting the transcript, USNinJapan,

The more I read about this captain, the angrier I get. It's amazing how much damage one idiot can cause, people's lives, financial loss of more than half billion dollars, environmental damages.

And he refused to go back to the boat because it was dark ? smh
0

SerranoJan. 19, 2012 - 07:18AM JST

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

LOL.
0

FightingVikingJan. 19, 2012 - 09:39AM JST

Didn't think it was necessary to mention - but "CRETINO" means "IDIOT" in italian...
0
lostrune2Jan. 19, 2012 - 08:04PM JST
Some of them will talk to save their asses.
But that won't make the talk true.
It may or may not be true. That's why you corroborate it. This isn't Japan here with their over-reliance on confessions.