Cruise Ship Captain: I'll Be Last Off

Francesco Schettino initially told Port Authority he'd stay with Costa Concordia
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 22, 2012 7:49 AM CST
Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino: I'll Be Last to Abandon Ship
A police boat sails by the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia, off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012.   (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Somewhere along the way, Francesco Schettino's definition of "last" changed: The BBC highlights new audio of the beleaguered Costa Concordia captain speaking with Italian Port Authority in which he says he'll be the last off the ship. Schettino tells the person on the other end of the line that about 300 crew and passengers remain on board the foundering ship, and that "almost everybody" has disembarked. "Will everybody abandon ship, or will someone remain on board?" asks Port Authority. "I will stay here," responds Schettino. "Will it be just you, or will somebody else remain on the ship?" asks Port Authority. "I think it will be just me," Schettino answers. He says he later "tripped" and fell into a lifeboat. Click for more on the disaster. (More cruise ships stories.)

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