The news reporting is very fragmented and unclear regarding the circumstances surrounding this incident that it's unbelievable.....
There are some SERIOUS shiphandling and emergency management issues here, just who the f**k was at the helm, and why, in clear calm weather was a vessel of that size even CLOSE to that coast? Every decent Bass boat around here has a bottom-profiling depth sounder aboard.......you're not going to convince me that the data on the water beneath her keel wasn't available to whomever was on the bridge.........
There are some reports that the crew abandoned ship first without aiding the passengers, and that there were several hours between the time she ran aground and efforts to evacuate started. During that period there was more time than necessary to launch lifeboats, before the list became critical. Hell....she appears to have come to rest close enough to the coast for the passengers to nearly walk ashore.
The cruise line has already stated they are blaming the captain, they'll supply him with a defense attorney, but it's entirely his fault for deviating from the course and not following company or maritime procedures.
Italian press has reported that the Captain deviated from the programmed route, so they could do a Top Gun style fly by of the Island. Apparently numerous captains and people in the industry retired there, and it's a not unheard of informal practice. They're stating that in this case, the Captain was doing it as a favor to the Head Waiter or something, who was from the Island. From the records, ships that have done that Sail By in the past, did it with smaller ships, several hundred meters farther out to sea. There was even a note about ships of that size, being specifically warned to stay farther away from the island.
Initial reports stated that a number of the life boats couldn't be reached due to being pushed away by the listing of the ship. Nearly all reports are saying that it was a completely uncoordinated evacuation... which we'll finding out why, just below. Additionally, a number of people actually jumped into the water and swam to shore.
Euro news feeds, have already shown both passengers and crew announcing they had no idea how to evacuate or what to do... some even announced they had no training in evacuation procedures. All of that was complicated by the fact that the Captain was one of the first to abandon the ship! He was ordered back onto the ship to coordinate the evacuation by the Port Authority and Italian Coast Guard, and refused...
Check out his discussion with the Port Authority...
First off the ship, first to prison.
00:32am
The port authority asks the captain, Francesco Schettino, how many people are left on board. He says 200-300, therefore claiming unrealistically that 4,000 people were evacuated in only 40 minutes. It quickly becomes clear he has already abandoned ship.
Schettino: "Now I'll go back up", he claims. "I came out to check out to figure out what was happening."
PA (Port Authority):"Will you be the last on board?"
Schsttino:"I will be the last on board"
00:42am
PA asks how many people still need to be evacuated.
Schettino:"I called and they told me there are about 100 people. I am coordinating the operations. But I can't go back on it. We have abandoned the ship."
PA:"Captain, did you really abandon the ship??"
Schettino:"No, no, I am here, I am coordinating the evacuation."
PA:"Captain, this is an order, now I am in charge. Get back on that ship and coordinate the operations. There are already casualties."
Schettino:"How many?"
PA:"You should tell me that! What do you want to do, go home? Now you get back on that ship and tell us what can be done, how many people are still there and what do they need."
Schettino:"Ok, OK, I am going."
(The captain will not get back on the ship)
LINKFWIW I could almost see some justification in sending a ships officer to take a look at the incident from the water, to give a better picture of the incident. However, to leave thousands of people to themselves on the boat... the captain himself taking off...
