What is the story of Captain Schettino?

While the rescue divers are still trying to find the still missing passengers and crew members who were on the Costa Concordia when she hit a rock in front of the Tuscan coast a few days ago, the Captain of the ship still declines all accuses that are brought up against him.
Captain Schettino is accused of causing the crash and therefor was put under house arrest.

Captain Schettino

Moreover the captain has to face accuses, that he left the ship before all passengers have left the sinking ship.

A recording of a call between him and the responsible coast guard Gregorio De Falco after the crash appears to support this, though Capt Schettino denies the claims.

In this recording you can year the coast guard demanding from the Captain to go back on the ship in order to coordinate the evacuation and save the passengers and crew members.

BBC news released a transcript of the recorded call:

Conversation of Gregorio De Falco and Captain Schettino

Gregorio De Falco: "Hello. Hello."

Francesco Schettino: "Good evening, captain."

De Falco: "Hello, I'm de Falco, from Livorno. I am speaking with the commander?"

Schettino: "I'm Commander Schettino."

De Falco: "Listen Schettino, there are people trapped aboard, you go with your lifeboat under the prow of the ship on the port side and you go aboard the ship using the rope ladder. You go aboard and you tell me how many people there are. Is it clear? I'm recording this conversation, Commander Schettino."

Schettino: "So, I'll tell you something..."

De Falco: "Speak louder."

Schettino: "Now, I'm in front of..."

De Falco: "Commander, speak louder, take the microphone and speak loud. Is that clear?"

Schettino: "Commander, right now the ship is skewed."

De Falco: "Understood. Listen there are people going down from the prow using the rope ladder; you take that rope ladder on the opposite side, you go aboard and you tell me the number of people and what they have on board. Is that clear? You tell me whether there are children, women or people needing assistance. And you tell me the number of each of these categories. Is that clear? Schettino, maybe you saved yourself from the sea, but I'll make you pay for sure. Go aboard."

Schettino: "Commander, please?"

De Falco: "Please, now you go aboard."

Schettino: "I am on the life boat, under the ship, I haven't gone anywhere, I'm here."

De Falco: "What are you doing, commander?"

Schettino: "I'm here to coordinate rescues."

De Falco: "What are you coordinating there? Go on board and coordinate rescues from on board. Do you refuse?"

Schettino: "No, no I'm not refusing."

De Falco: "You're refusing to go aboard, commander, tell me why you're not going."

Schettino: "I'm not going because there is another lifeboat stopped there."

De Falco: "Go aboard: it's an order. You have no evaluation to make, you declared abandon ship, now I give orders: go aboard. Is it clear?"

Schettino: "Commander I'm going aboard."

De Falco: "Call me from aboard, my rescuer is there at the prow of the ship. There are already dead bodies, Schettino."

Schettino: "How many dead bodies?"

De Falco: "I do not know. One for sure. You have to tell me how many."

Schettino: "Do you realise that it's dark here and we can't see a thing?"

De Falco: "And what, do you want to go home, Schettino? It's dark, so you want to go home...? Go on the prow of the ship, using the rope ladder and tell me what can be done, how many people there are and what are their needs. Do it now."

Schettino: "Here there is also the vice commander. I'm together with him."

De Falco: "Then go aboard together. Together. What's his name?"

Schettino: "Dimitri."

De Falco: "Dimitri what? You and your vice go aboard. Now, is it clear?"

Schettino: "Commander, I want to go aboard, but here there is the other lifeboat, there are other rescuers who stopped. Now I called other rescuers."

De Falco: "You've been telling me this for one hour. Go aboard. Go aboard. And you tell me right away how many people there are."

Schettino: "Ok commander."

De Falco: "Go, quickly."

source: BBC news

Picture taken during the night when the people were trying to leave the sinking Costa Concordia

If Schettino really went back on board of the ship remains unclear for the moment. But during a court hearing on Tuesday, the captain said he could not get on board the vessel because it was lying on its side.

He argued that after hitting rocks he had executed a difficult manoeuvre that had saved many people's lives.

Without doubt the police will try to analyse the happenings last Friday on the Costa Concordia very carefully and Captain Schettino will have to answer a lot of questions.

for further information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16606405

r.s.