Skift Take
If the hull of the Concordia had been as thick as Schettino's head perhaps the rocks he rammed it into would not have punctured the surface.
The captain of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia has returned to court to contest his firing, and says he’ll “certainly” take command of a ship again.
Francesco Schettino is challenging Costa Crociere SpA’s decision to fire him after the Concordia ran aground off Tuscany Jan. 13, 2012, and capsized, killing 32 people. Court-appointed experts have blamed Schettino for the disaster, saying he took the ship off course in a stunt.
Schettino insists his deft steering saved lives and that the reef the ship hit wasn’t on his charts.
As he arrived Wednesday for the closed-door hearing in Torre Annunziata, near Naples, Schettino was asked if he thought he’d command a ship again. He replied: “Yes, certainly.”
A separate court is deciding whether to indict Schettino on manslaughter and other charges.
Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Tags: accidents, carnival, costa, labor
Photo credit: Captain Francesco Schettino is seen in this undated file photo released on January 18, 2012. Reuters