Italian Cruise Ship Surfaces .. One Still Missing
The Italian cruise ship raised was a site to behold, but not in a positive light. Surprisingly the ship named Costa Concordia appeared in fair condition in different spots considering it being reef wrecked and completely submerged in saltwater for a year and a half. The ship sat parked underwater off the coast of the Italian Island “Giglio”. Not to put a mild spin on things.. this luxury is certainly never going to sail again (nor should it) and while it looks to be in fair condition in select areas on the surface, the bottom of the liner is rotting away. The jumbo vessel was only seven years old when it struck a shallow reef off the coast of Italy January 13, 2012. The liner ultimately sank completely in which 32 people perished. All those that were lost in the tragedy have been recovered but one. There is a 32-year-old male from India who as of yet has not been found. Reports have investigators fairly certain that the male crew member who worked on board as a waiter never actually escaped the ship and is still somewhere inside.
The Costa Concordia resurfaced after a billion dollars was spent getting it upright and almost fully at sea level once again. Experts at recovering large ships decided the most orrect way to bring this multimillion dollar vessel back to the surface would be to build a larg3 platform underwater as long as the ship itself. The first step was actually building the platform below it under the sea, a bit downward from where the ship actually rested on the reef. After the platform was constructed the ship was then slid downward onto the platform and suspended in place by airbags. This at least enabled the ship to then be leveled upright with cabling all while still underwater. Two hoist structures were then connected on each side of the ship. Lastly, the ship was pulled to the surface by way of more cabling connected to each of the side-hoists. Below is small part of the ship that actually was not damaged with water due to it existing in a sort of air pocket underneath the ocean!
The captain of the ship named Francesco Schettino along with crew members have been scrutinized for leaving the ship while many passengers were still stuck on board. Since ships have been sailing it is often considered code of the sea in that the captain stay with the ship until all passengers are safely removed. Some of the crew left the ship before all passengers could escape the doomed vessel. Perhaps the crew cannot be blamed for simply following direct orders.. However, it is said it was The Captain who was the one calling all the shots while Schettino says the decisions made were “group decisions”.
The captain himself eventually made it to dry land via a life boat while many were still on board trying to escape. Schettino claims to have fallen into a life boat while the ship was partially tipped. While on dry land the captain tried to coordinate the rescue with the coast guard. Recordings exist of the coast guard chastising him for not staying on board. There is an investigation and the captain is currently charged with multiple manslaughter. The captain maintains he only made one mistake in taking the ship off course and adds he is a “scapegoat” for the cruise line company Canival, who owns the liner. The captain’s story is that the ship was defective because water tight doors failed and it’s generators malfunctioned stopping the ship from making it to land in time to save the ship after striking the reef. Below is former Captain Francesco Schettino some time after the accident. The investigation is ongoing..
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Posted by Latest Buzz -
on Jul 14 2014. Filed under Latest Buzz.
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