Posted on 01/17/2012 6:13:08 AM PST by Daffynition
Italian navy divers have set off explosives to create openings in the hull of a cruise ship that ran aground near a Tuscan island, in a desperate effort to speed the search for 29 missing passengers and crew.
Navy spokesman Alessandro Busonero said micro-charges placed on the side of the ship created four openings to allow divers 'to enter easily for the search'.
Extensive debris and the 'sideways' nature of the ship has hampered rescuers from getting into sections of the stricken vessel. The holes were made both above and below the water level. Television footage showed the holes to be less than 6ft in diameter.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
That kind of diving is very dangerous. So easy to get lost or trapped. The captn need to be shot.
From the looks of it, this ship capsized about 30 feet from shore!
I am not a sailor, but when is it ever not dangerous to take a ship that close to shore?
The Captain sure gave the village a spectacle to look at. ;-)
Seems like there were reports they went closer to shore after they hit the rock. Im sure the gps has told the company exactly where the ship was.
Not a proud moment for we Americans of Italian descent.
To all: remember, we also produced Rocky Marciano.
Indeed...he left the ship 5 hours B4 the last passenger got off? Probably so he could run home to his mommy.
Even sophisticated nav equipment does not eradicate human error.
This was probably the one good call that the captain made. Had the ship capsized even a few thousand feet further from shore, it would have sunk quickly in the deeper waters with much greater loss of life.
The captains next assignment (after he gets out of prison) will be a gondola.
Getting that boat off the rocks will be a sight to see. It’s not going to be left there. I’d love to watch the removal operation.
Will that be possible or does it need to be cut up in place?
There was a beached freighter on the Oregon coast that took months if not a year to cut up and haul away. That was a much smaller job.
The cruise company has announced that the “Costa Concordia will be out of service for the remainder of 2012”. Ya think?
It will be interesting to see if they jack it up, seal it and float it away or scrap it in place.
Almost half billion $ ship.
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