It was claimed that the captain of the Costa Concordia deliberately crashed the ship in order to win over his sweetheart.
Most guys would never jeopardize the lives of almost 4,000 people simply to brag, yet many men have gone to extraordinary lengths to obtain a lady. Francesco Schettino’s choice resulted in the tragic deaths of 33 passengers and crew members, raising the possibility that he ignored the warning.
The former Italian shipmaster is currently in prison after being convicted of manslaughter for causing the Costa Concordia to crash and abandoning his passengers.
He started serving his 16-year sentence in 2017 after exhausting all appeals. Schettino, who was dubbed a “Captain Coward” for abandoning the sinking ship, said that his only intention on that fatal January 2012 day was to impress visitors.
The 64-year-old led the seven-day Mediterranean trip, which began in Civitavecchia, near Lazio on Italy’s coas
On January 13, 2012, the luxury liner arrived at the tourist island of Giglio a few hours after leaving the dock, and Schettino decided to offer his passengers a tour.
However, as a result of this “sail by,” the Costa Concordia veered off course and was followed by a nautical salute in which the ship’s horn was blared to the towns people.
As a result, many individuals on board were unaware that there was a rock outcrop in the ship’s course, and when Schettino eventually screamed at the crew to redirect the ship, it was too late to rescue it.
During the accident, a massive 35-meter hole on the side of the Costa Concordia burst open, allowing gallons of water into the engine room and tilting the ship. After landing unevenly on an underwater ledge, it partially sunk, but Schettino departed the scene on a lifeboat that he subsequently claimed he “fell” into rather than staying to evaluate the damage.
It’s plausible to presume that while captain of the Costa Concordia, he made a number of serious blunders.
Despite rumors that this was the cause of the disaster, Schettino insists that getting diverted by a young Moldovan dancer was not one of them.
Domnica Cemortan, 24, his putative lover at the time, admitted to having an affair with the captain in court.
According to the BBC, authorities claim he drove too near to the island in order to boast to Cemortan.
According to the Daily Mail, the dancer said that because she was so far away from Schettino, she couldn’t distract his attention during the collision. Nonetheless, Schettino stated in court that the sail-by was for “business reasons” and that he intended to entertain his guests.
“My three goals were to amuse my guests, to honor a retired captain who lived on Giglio, and to please the ship’s head waiter, who was from the island,” stated the commander.
“I wanted to accomplish several things at once,” Schettino stated, adding that he did not believe it was essential to alert the ship’s owners, Costa Crociere, of the detour since it was considered “an approach” rather than a “touristic route.”
After investigating the event, Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructures and Transports determined that the ship was going too close to the coast. The research also revealed that the Costa Concordia’s unsafe distance at night and fast speed (15.5 kts) as well as the poorly illuminated beach area were contributing factors to the deadly tragedy.
The disaster ultimately claimed the lives of 33 people, and it took two years, until November 2014, to discover the final victim’s body. Following the Costa Concordia accident, Schettino and his workers were charged with a variety of crimes, including homicide.
The ship’s sinking is reported to have cost about $2 billion (£1.56 billion).