The captain of a capsized Italian luxury liner, after abandoning his damaged ship, ignored orders to get back on board while lying and whining to Coast Guard officials. The nerve of this guy, he put so many people’s lives in danger and caused the deaths of many. Life! #imjustsaying. Click below to read the rest.
“Do you realize it’s dark out here and we can’t see anything?†moaned Capt. Francesco Schettino after the Costa Concordia smashed into the rocks off the Tuscan coast Friday.
Coast Guard Commander Gregorio Maria DeFalco responded angrily to the complaint.
“Do you want to go home?†he snapped. “It’s dark so you want to go home? Get on the stern of that ship, climb that ladder and tell me what can be done, how many people are there and what they need. Right now!â€
A transcript of the bizarre conversation was released Tuesday morning and posted on the Italian news web site Corriere della Sera.
The captain was grilled Tuesday by Italian prosecutors before a judge’s expected ruling on whether Schettino should remain under arrest for leaving the damaged cruise ship.
Another five bodies were discovered Tuesday, raising the death toll in the tragedy to 11. Another 24 people remained missing.
Schettino, under blistering questioning from DeFalco, even lied at one point that he was reboarding the sinking craft about three hours after the accident.
“Get back on board! On board!†the Coast Guard officer said. “And you get back to me right away telling me how many people are there.â€
Schettino replied, “It’s fine, officer. I’m going.â€
But he never returned to the ship, instead returning to land as the passengers — women and children included — were evacuated.
DeFalco repeatedly ordered and urged the captain to get back on board, threatening and cajoling Schettino to no avail.
“Look Schettino, you have saved yourself from the sea but … it will be very bad for you!†DeFalco said. “Get back on board for (expletive’s) sake!â€
Minutes later, De Falco snapped, “You have declared that you have abandoned ship, therefore I’m in command. Get back on board right now. Is that clear?â€
“I’m getting back on board,†the captain said.