Hundreds were still aboard when Schettino fled
Hundreds of people were still aboard the "Costa Concordia" when captain Schettino fled in a lifeboat, the Italian Coast Guard official Coast Guard Capt. Gregorio De Falco testified on Dec 9. Rescuers received first word of the seriousness of the shipwreck only after a passenger used a cellphone to call his family.
De Falco told the court that the "Costa Concordia" sent out its first distress signal 53 minutes after the allision. Until then the ship's officers kept giving the Coastguard reassurances about the situation on board, insisting that the vessel had only suffered a power blackout.
De Falco, who was based in a port controlling the waters near Giglio, said he didn't believe Schettino's reassurances.
He testified that police on the mainland informed the Coast Guard that a relative of a passenger called them to say that passengers had been ordered to don life vests, and that furniture was falling around them as the cruise liner started listing badly. A customs police boat, which had rushed to the scene, also told the Coast Guard the ship had capsized.
The court heard recorded phone conversations between De Falco and Schettino in which De Falco repeatedly orders Schettino to get back aboard, at one point saying he was relieving the Concordia captain of his command.
The call ended with an exasperated De Falco's uttering an expletive after shouting at Schettino. Also played in court was a recording of another conversation in which Schettino was aboard a life boat and mumbled that there were "at most about 10 people" still on the "Costa Concordia". "Do you see people in the water?" De Falco asked Schettino. "Yes, I scooped up some with my lifeboat," Schettino replies. He says there are still 10 people aboard, "but I cannot see all the ship."
The Coast Guard had heard that as many as 300 of the 4,200 passengers and crew were still aboard, the court was told.
De Falco ordered rescuers to be lowered from a helicopter to pluck to safety dozens of people who were clinging to railings and other parts of the ship. Schettino had his head down and chatted with defence lawyers when the court listened to the conversation.
Hundreds of people were still aboard the "Costa Concordia" when captain Schettino fled in a lifeboat, the Italian Coast Guard official Coast Guard Capt. Gregorio De Falco testified on Dec 9. Rescuers received first word of the seriousness of the shipwreck only after a passenger used a cellphone to call his family.
De Falco told the court that the "Costa Concordia" sent out its first distress signal 53 minutes after the allision. Until then the ship's officers kept giving the Coastguard reassurances about the situation on board, insisting that the vessel had only suffered a power blackout.
De Falco, who was based in a port controlling the waters near Giglio, said he didn't believe Schettino's reassurances.
He testified that police on the mainland informed the Coast Guard that a relative of a passenger called them to say that passengers had been ordered to don life vests, and that furniture was falling around them as the cruise liner started listing badly. A customs police boat, which had rushed to the scene, also told the Coast Guard the ship had capsized.
The court heard recorded phone conversations between De Falco and Schettino in which De Falco repeatedly orders Schettino to get back aboard, at one point saying he was relieving the Concordia captain of his command.
The call ended with an exasperated De Falco's uttering an expletive after shouting at Schettino. Also played in court was a recording of another conversation in which Schettino was aboard a life boat and mumbled that there were "at most about 10 people" still on the "Costa Concordia". "Do you see people in the water?" De Falco asked Schettino. "Yes, I scooped up some with my lifeboat," Schettino replies. He says there are still 10 people aboard, "but I cannot see all the ship."
The Coast Guard had heard that as many as 300 of the 4,200 passengers and crew were still aboard, the court was told.
De Falco ordered rescuers to be lowered from a helicopter to pluck to safety dozens of people who were clinging to railings and other parts of the ship. Schettino had his head down and chatted with defence lawyers when the court listened to the conversation.