The captain of the ill-fated Costa Concordia was delivering a “salute” to a friend on shore when he sailed into disaster, it was claimed on Sunday night.
Francesco Schettino, 52, has been arrested on suspicion of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship when the cruise liner ran aground after sustaining a 160ft gash in the port-side hull – leaving at least six dead and 15 missing.
Italian investigators are working on the theory that the £390 million vessel sailed close to the island of Giglio to greet an officer from the Italian merchant navy who was friendly with those on the Concordia.
Reports in Italy said that investigators had identified the man on shore and he would be questioned as part of the inquiry into the incident.
Last August the vessel passed close to the island sounding its whistle – prompting the mayor to send a congratulatory e-mail to the captain for providing such a “spectacle to tourists” and “fantastic entertainment”.
Prosecutors described Schettino’s handling of the giant craft as “inept” and he was forced to deny additional damaging claims that he left the ship to save himself, had been spotted in the bar and even raided the safe before leaving.
The allegations – all of which were denied by his family – led Schettino to be dubbed “Captain Coward” by some of the furious survivors who also accused his senior colleagues of abandoning them.
One couple, French military officer Ophelie Gondelle and police officer David Du Pays, said they saw the captain in a lifeboat, covered by a blanket, well before all the passengers were off the ship. Asked about the suggestion that the captain had abandoned ship, senior prosecutor Francesco Verusio said: “Unfortunately, I must confirm that circumstance.”
After rescue workers recovered a sixth body on Monday, more than 48 hours after the vessel capsized off Italy's west coast, it also emerged that:
* Survivors were left to swim for their lives and shin down rope ladders during a terrifying “Titanic-like” escape. They told how women and children were barged out of the way by crewmen heading for the lifeboats.
* Fears grew of an environmental disaster amid claims from the scene that fuel has started leaking from the liner.
* Rescue divers continue to search submerged parts of ship before bad weather sinks it fully.
The crash has shocked all those who enjoy the multi-billion-pound cruise industry and believe they are holidaying in absolute safety.
The Concordia was sailing little more than 300 yards (275 metres) from the rocky coast of Giglio when it should have been at least 10 times that distance.
Captain Schettino insisted his charts and navigation system show he was in “safe water” and that the rocks he had hit were unmarked – a claim which amazed locals on Giglio who say the dangers were well known.
First Officer Ciro Ambrosio was also arrested and detained with Schettino at Porto Santo Stefano on the Italian mainland before being transferred to prison.
Tuscan chief prosecutor Verusio said the Concordia had “very ineptly” approached the island en route to the port of Savona. The shipping lanes marked on maps plot a course to the west of the island. The Concordia came to grief to the east of Giglio.
Verusio said the ship had struck a reef on its port side causing it to take in an “enormous amount of water in a matter of minutes”. A huge piece of rock remained embedded in the hull.
Italian police are conducting two investigations – one into the route the captain took and one into the evacuation of the ship.
The 117 000-ton Concordia smashed into rocks two hours into a seven-day Mediterranean cruise as passengers were enjoying dinner at 9.30pm on Friday.
Schettino, who has worked with Concordia for 10 years, called his mother Rosa in Naples at 5am and said: “There has been a tragedy but keep calm. I tried to save the passengers. I won’t be able to call you for a while but don’t worry.”
His sister Giulia said: “We are keeping calm. Franco is a good captain and he has told the truth.”
British dancer Rose Metcalf, who was among the last to be lifted off the ship early on Saturday, said that there was a rumour among staff that the captain had fled with cash. At the family home in Wimborne, Dorset, her father Philip, 56, said: “Other members of staff said that the captain and possibly his first officer left the ship as soon as it hit the rock. They said the captain emptied the safe and fled with the money.
“She didn’t know if it was true, but if it was she didn’t want him to get away with it. She said that the command structure had broken down and they had to organise the evacuation themselves.”
There were also reports that Schettino had been dining with passengers when the accident happened – but the ship’s operating company, Costa Crociere, said he was on the bridge. On Sunday night it was still unclear as to what had caused the stricken ship to capsize. It hit a rocky outlet known as Le Scole, which opened up the port-side hull.
Fifteen minutes after impact, Schettino gave the order to drop anchor in an attempt to turn the ship around and return as close as possible to Giglio harbour which by now the Concordia had passed.
As it carried out the emergency manoeuvre, it sped up the intake of water and led to the ship turning on to its side, finally coming to rest on a rocky shelf. There is also a theory that an electrical fault wiped out the ship’s navigational power and steering control.
Survivors vented their anger at the captain on Sunday on a message board at their Rome hotel. It had been set up for therapeutic reasons to allow them to display their feelings and give thanks for their rescue.
“Those captain is crazy liar” said one angry missive, while another read: “Captain is a coward!”
A picture showed a crude image of the Costa Concordia sinking beneath the waves with people in the water and the captain being winched to safety aboard a hovering helicopter with a speech bubble coming out of his mouth saying: “I don’t give a s***, people.”
Schettino will be held until next week when a judge will decide whether he should be released or formally arrested. If convicted, he faces a maximum 12 years in jail. - Daily Mail