Comments | ontd_political: Recording of captain refusing to re-board ship and account for lives released

llivla in ontd_political

Recording of captain refusing to re-board ship and account for lives released

Jan 17, 2012 12:52

ROME (AP) - Five more bodies were pulled Tuesday out of the crippled cruise ship off Tuscany, and a shocking audio emerged in which the ship's captain was heard making excuses as the Italian coast guard repeatedly ordered him to return and oversee the ship's evacuation.

( transciptions and audio links under the cut; details on safety of fuel and status of the maritime sanctuary included )

lawsuits, germany, not intended to be a factual statement, environment, disasters, oil, incompetence, italy

Comments 42

xforge January 17 2012, 18:06:58 UTC

Y'know what, maybe I *don't* want to ever go on another cruise ship again.

imnotasquirrel January 17 2012, 18:26:18 UTC

Let's get Capt. Sully to kick his ass.

ETA: Found this transcript of the call.

(The comment has been removed)

velvetunicorn January 17 2012, 18:44:33 UTC

I agree.

kalikahuntress January 17 2012, 19:03:31 UTC

THIS.

Thread 11

mercaque January 17 2012, 18:49:01 UTC

"Listen Schettino, perhaps you have saved yourself from the sea, but I will make you look very bad. I will make you pay for this. Dammit, go back on board!" Capt De Falco says.

Speaking by radio from a lifeboat, Capt Schettino says he is co-ordinating the rescue from there, pleading at one point: "Do you realise that it is dark and we can't see anything?"

The coastguard shouts back: "So, what do you want to do, to go home, Schettino?! It's dark and you want to go home? Go to the bow of the ship where the ladder is and tell me what needs to be done, how many people there are, and what they need! Now!"

I like this Captain De Falco. (This isn't a flippant comment, I'm glad at least someone in authority knew what needed to be done.)

precious_doe January 17 2012, 18:55:34 UTC

This is what a Captain should sound like. I can't believe this other guy.

thelilyqueen January 17 2012, 19:39:31 UTC

Yup. I'm imagining his voice sounding like that of The Hard-Nosed Drill Sergeant in pretty much every military movie ever.

farchivist January 17 2012, 20:57:30 UTC

Captain De Falco was definitely making his service proud that day.
The transcript gives me so much hate for Schettino.

Thread 5

jocelyncs January 17 2012, 19:43:29 UTC

Dunno who this De Falco guy is, but I like him!

Un-effing-believeable. Not that the accident happened - I could accept that. Technology goes wrong, navigation errors happen, sea floor conditions change. But the fact that there were no muster drills or other emergency practices, and it's obvious the crew was NOT adequately trained... almost 100 years since Titanic sank and apparently some people in the shipping industry still think it's possible for a ship to be unsinkable.

imnotasquirrel January 17 2012, 19:51:06 UTC

Not that the accident happened - I could accept that.

I don't think you should, at least if the initial reports are to be believed. It sounds like this wasn't a simple case of "shit happens"; this was something that was entirely preventable. It happened because the captain wanted to show off.

jocelyncs January 17 2012, 20:00:42 UTC

True, I amend that to accepting the idea that accidents in general do happen. Going along with the whole "ships aren't unsinkable" (if only to point out that it's a good idea NOT to deviate from one's planned route on a whim!) This one in particular does sound like it should not have happened - the initial reports I read until now sounded like some sort of electrical/navigation equipment failure happened. THAT I could swallow. This, not so much.

ETA: Nice snake, by the way! Seems to have the same expression as my cat!

danceprincess20 January 17 2012, 20:17:00 UTC

I get what you're saying, I'm more bothered by this guy abandoning the passengers and crew (and then refusing to go back) then the initial error(s) he made.

Thread 5

free_spoons January 17 2012, 20:06:36 UTC

Schettino resisted, saying the ship was tipping and that it was dark. At the time, he was in a lifeboat and said he was coordinating the rescue from there.

De Falco shouted back: "And so what? You want to go home, Schettino? It is dark and you want to go home?

Jeez, this captain sounds like a scum bag. Also, this De Falco guy sounds like a BAMF.

CSB: My parent are going on a cruise next week. But here's the thing. This is the 2rd time they'll have gone on a cruise less than a month after a cruise ship accident. Plus one time they went on a cruise ship its first trip after the ship had been in an accident

jocelyncs January 17 2012, 20:44:59 UTC

It is quite true (if self-serving) what the cruise industry people are saying - most cruise ships are quite safe. Granted, no ship on earth can manage to not bash itself into the sea floor without getting a hole in it, but given what we're now learning about this captain, this was a freak accident caused by a freak at the helm.

Your parents should pay close attention during muster drills and emergency instructions, and if those drills/reviews aren't conducted on teh FIRST DAY of the cruise, they should not sail with that line again. (I sailed my first cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines and was impressed by their emphasis on safety.)

perrie January 17 2012, 20:59:11 UTC

I used to work for a cruise ship line (Regent Seven Seas Cruises), and it was mandatory to do passenger muster drills on the first evening of every cruise and crew drills once a week, not to mention additional fire crew drills some evenings. That procedure was absolutely drummed into my head, back to front and side to side. As it should have been.