Posted on 01/17/2012 8:45:17 AM PST by Red Badger
GIGLIO, Italy (WLS) - Audio recording of the conversation between Capt. Francesco Schettino and Port Authority officials after the doomed Italian luxury cruise liner Costa Condcordia struck rocks Friday was released Tuesday morning. At least 11 people were killed in the aftermath, according to Italian media, and dozens more are still missing.
The following is a translation of the recording, which was posted on the news website Corriere della Sera:
Captain Schettino: It's Capt. Schettino.
Port Authority: Schettino, listen to me, there are people trapped onboard, now you go back, you will go with your rescue boat under the stern of the ship, there are some steps, you climb those steps and you get onboard and you get back to me letting me know how many people are on board. Is that clear to you? I am actually recording this conversation captain.
[inaudible, captain mumbles]
PA: Speak in a loud voice.
Captain: So, the ship right now [inaudible]...
PA: Speak in a loud voice! Put your hand by the microphone to cover it and speak up! Is that clear?
Voices in the background: "Tell him to come here. Tell him to come here."
Captain: So, right now the ship is tilted
PA: I understand that. Listen to me, there are people that are getting off using the rope ladder on the stern side, you go back there and you go up that ladder the opposite way, you go onboard the ship and you tell me how many people [are there] And what they need. You tell me if there are children, women or people that need assistance and you give me a number for each one of these categories is that clear? Look Schettino, you may have saved yourself from the sea but will put you through a lot of trouble it will be very bad for you! Get back on board for [expletive]'s sake!!!
Captain: Officer, please.
PA: There are no "pleases"! Get back on board! Please assure me that you are going back on board.
Captain: I am here on the rescue boat. I'm right here, I didn't go anywhere else, I'm here.
PA: What are you doing captain?
Captain: I'm here to coordinate rescue operations.
PA: What are you coordinating? Get back on board and coordinate rescue operations from onboard the ship.
[silence, sound cuts out]
PA: Do you refuse to do that?
Captain: No, I'm not refusing to do that.
PA: Are you refusing to back on board?
Captain: No, I am not refusing to go back. I am not going because the other rescue boat stopped.
PA: Get back on board! This is an order! You don't need to make any other assessment. You have declared that you have abandoned ship, therefore I'm in command. Get back on board right now is that clear?
Captain: Officer
PA: Can you not hear me?
Captain: I'm getting back on board.
PA: Then go! And call me right away when you are on board. There's my rescuer there.
Captain: Where is your rescuer?
PA: My rescuer is on the stern side, go! There are already bodies, Schettino! Go!
Captain: Officer how many bodies are there?
PA: I don't know. I know about one I've heard about one, but you must tell me! [expletive]!
Captain: Do you realize it's dark out here and we can't see anything?
PA: What do you want to do? Do you want to go home? It's dark, so you want to go home? Get on the stern of that ship climb the ladder and tell me what can be done, how many people are there and what they need. Right now!
Captain: I'm here with my second officer.
[Schettino identifies second officer.]
PA: You and your second officer must get back on board right now is that clear?
Captain: I just wanted to tell you that the other rescue boat here with other rescuers stopped. It's just stopped. Now I've called the other rescuers.
PA: You've been telling me the same thing for an hour now get back on board! On board! And you get back to me right away telling me how many people are there.
Captain: It's fine officer, I'm going.
PA: Then go, right now!
ABC News Radio contributed to this report.
Did the capt go below to assess the damage or at least the ocean inflow rate?
Nor a Capt. Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III.
I was thinking he shoulda been The Lounge Act.
Still looking for his strawberries.
Ok, Christopher Columbus and ..........
Just watched a youtube video of the Oceana sinking in the S. Atlantic.
Captain and crew abandoned ship, with their luggage. Left the passengers to fend for themselves.
Some of the entertainers took charge.
No - I’ve worked with Philipinos, Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Arabs, Aussies, and Thai - all of them would have said listing. English is the common language of OCEAN going vessels just like in the world of finance.
That being said - if I had been the PA - I’d have quit wasting my time after the first go round, sent a pilot onboard to lead the evacuation, and a harbor police to arrest the captain after his first delay in reboarding.
Absolutely no sense in this - every officer on the bridge - CO, OOD (or civilian equivalent), and Navigator should be charged and jailed. The others are duty bound to turn the bridge over to the CO and log their complaint if they feel he is putting the ship in harms way for no good reason. I saw something where the navigator may have protested and logged same, but haven’t seen follow up.
Any ships crew that was off the ship prior to the last passenger should be up for charges as well. The CO likely had a license that was “paid for” and not earned.
The liner that the Greek captain and crew abandoned and left the passengers to their fate was the Oceanos which sank off of South Africa. Everyone was saved though, no thanks to the captain.
that’s CONGRESSMAN Gopher...
Korean Tanker blowed up real good:
Norwegian coastal cruiser - on board explosion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOHEgtn2aKc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=i5tjtBmpZ8I
Freighter breakup on Xmas Ialand:
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=4680
Thanks for the ping. No doubt, this recording will be played at his trial.
I’m well aware of how dangerous it is especially when landing aircraft on the stern or a flight deck, replenishing at sea, or dealing with heavy weather. I’m not even upset the capt changed course - but this idiot didn’t take soundings, bother to establish a visual nav team, or deal with the situation after it occurred as a responsible capt would.
That being said - the korean thing is still up for review as suspect of NK foul play, I thought I heard the Norwegian had something going on below decks in regards to hotwork, Looking at the xmas island freighter it wasn’t well maintained and appears to be the result of storm surge, oh and the russian sub fire was a result of hotwork and with exception of the SK ship all the others were alongside the pier - there is no excuse for running aground in todays age of GPS, fathometers, range finders, thrusters, and manual backups in calm weather....
but then it was dark, you can hear the CO talk to the PA about it - BAH, ship him over the side and keel-haul him mates, he’s a landlubber making as a mermaid - so let him swim.
Bubba Giuseppe will be his bunk buddy in a fine Italian prison.
When the captain gets out of prison he can probably get a job in our Treasury Dept. rearranging deck chairs.
The title of the video is: “Il ‘saluto’ della Costa Concordia all’Isola del Giglio nel 2011”
There’s another video that appears the same simply titled: “Costa Concordia Agosto 2011”. I know when they were posted but it appears the video was taken last summer.
Close Encounters Song, everybody....
With Satellite Weather data, RADAR, GPS, all sorts of web based ship traffic position data, etc, it would seem that it is still a much more dangerous business than the Cruise Lines would lead one to believe (not including hiring cowboys as Captains - not that there is anything wrong with cowboys, they just shouldn't be allowed to drive the train...).
It also explains why so many Navy Captains have their careers cut short.
He probably beached the boat because he couldn’t swim!
Well given the number of vessels that are out there your bound to have problems - the main driver is lack of proper maintenance on breakdowns - one thing the Navy did right in my mind was a solid preventative maintenance system. After that the major issues become mental mistakes - often driven by alcohol and drugs (it can get lonely on the high seas, but even there modern conveniences have eliminated the majority of past concerns with dvds, video games, some oilers have swimming pools for gods sake). Third I would say is improper training or overly quick promotions.
As to the cruise liners I think the big thing to worry about is the airborne pathogens - I’ve heard of more than a few cruises where 1/2 the people onboard got sick. They tend to keep a good clamp on that news with vouchers for another cruise provided you sign an agreement to keep quiet.... but every once in a while it gets out in the press.
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