Report: Captain claims he "tripped" into lifeboat

CBS News ^ | January 18, 2012 | ap

[Upstate NY Guy]

(CBS/AP) The cruise ship captain under fire for abandoning his vessel while thousands of passengers scrambled for rescue has reportedly come up with an explanation for his flight - he accidentally tripped and fell into a lifeboat:

Capt. Francesco Schettino stated: "I didn't even have a life jacket because I had given it to one of the passengers. I was trying to get people to get into the boats in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, since the ship was at a 60 to 70 degree angle, I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats. That's how I found myself in the lifeboat."

[Mr. K]

"Dereliction of duty compounded by this cowardly lie."

Do captains of these ships get promoted based on merit? Or did he know the right people (or should I say 'left' )

I have often found that these politically correct buffoons get promoted to the top and usually do nothing disastrous when everything is going fine. But in an emergency their incompetence shows.

This guy does not SOUND like captain material on any boat I would own.

[Milton Miteybad]

Jerry, speaking to George at the diner:

Hmm. So you feel "women and children first," in this day and age, is somewhat of an antiquated notion.

[ELS]

"Va" is third person/formal in the present tense. "Vada" is the imperative form which is what the coast guard guy used. According to one of the replies (from a native speaker) on the source article, the headline is an accurate translation.

[Oztrich Boy]

The biggest failure of Costa/Carnival is obviously in personnel. How did this clown ever get the responsibility he had?

He's obviously some form of nautical genius

He joined Costa's version of TSA in 2002 ("an official in charge of security") and was promoted to First Officer, then to Captain in 2006.

Master at Arms to Captain in only 4 years.

[ExCTCitizen]

His crew tripped into the same lifeboat? Wow, they should play the lottery if they are that lucky.

[onedoug]

He tripped over his own cold feet.

[Moltke]

Could’ve happened to anyone. Such accidents are unpredictable. Luckily for him, there was no running woodchipper in that lifeboat. Or some set bear traps.

[Explorer89]

OK, i stink, I cannot believe I fouled up the freaking present tense!

[NautiNurse]

I can’t believe you are still defending the indefensible Chicken of the Sea captain. Is he kin to you, or do you think he is a hottie? Nothing else makes sense.

[This Just In]

“Sounds like he’s been talking to a lawyer.”

Sounds like he’s been smoking weed.

[NautiNurse]

He had the rip in the hull MILES before he hit the beach...Please take a look at the pictures.

Reality Check: Yes, let's look at the photo. I've circled a gigantic boulder sticking out of the Concordia's hull.

The big boulder sticking out of the hull is the exact same size as the long tear in the hull. Are you implying the ship ripped the boulder from the sea floor and dragged it along for MILES? Could it be that the ship came to rest on a distant, different, yet exactly identical size boulder that caused a prior tear in the hull MILES away? To believe either of these scenarios requires the willful suspension of disbelief.

[drpix]

"He absolutely had a better window from the shore."

As Captain his job was not to have an #$%@ing better view.

It was to be ON HIS SHIP, at the center of the disaster, hands on evaluating and directing the evacuation, giving orders, leading by example and most of all personally assuming the largest risk upon himself - until either he was sure the last possible surviving passenger or crew member was off the ship or the ship was about to go completely under. PERIOD!

[Revolting cat!]

Captain’s best excuse: “I’m Eyetalian!”

[Revolting cat!]

Give the man a break, merda succede. If
merda non è accaduto, there would be no need for Internet and no need for FR!

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

Yeah,right.

What a scuzzbucket.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

How can you trip if the boat is at a 60 or 70 degree angle? Wouldn’t you automatically fall unless you were holding on to something?

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

I was thinking of that excuse.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

I was thinking of that excuse.

[Ramius]

Reality Check: Yes, let's look at the photo. I've circled a gigantic boulder sticking out of the Concordia's hull. [...] The big boulder sticking out of the hull is the exact same size as the long tear in the hull. Are you implying the ship ripped the boulder from the sea floor and dragged it along for MILES? Could it be that the ship came to rest on a distant, different, yet exactly identical size boulder that caused a prior tear in the hull MILES away? To believe either of these scenarios requires the willful suspension of disbelief.

That's exactly what happened. I think you're interpreting that photo all wrong. That boulder is the tip of the rock they hit, broken off and embedded in the ship, right at the end of the gash it made as the ship struck it. That rock is sticking INTO the hull, not sticking out through it.

The ship ~did~ travel several miles after it hit the rocks, and yes with that large boulder stuck into the wound in the hull. His other major failings notwithstanding, the one smart thing the Captain did was to turn the ship back toward shore such that it sank in relatively shallow water, leaving much of the superstructure high and dry. This undoubtedly did save many hundreds of lives.

[Last Dakotan]

Master at Arms to Captain in only 4 years.

Geez, that's faster than even a minority lesbian would do it in the USN...