Posted on 01/16/2012 9:06:35 AM PST by C19fan
t was every man – and crew member – for himself. Survivors from the Costa Concordia spoke angrily yesterday of the nightmare evacuation from the stricken ship as women and children were left behind. In the terrifying moments after the giant vessel began to list, fights even broke out to get into the lifeboats. Men refused to prioritise women, expectant mothers and children as they pushed themselves forward to escape. Crew ignored their passengers – leaving ‘chefs and waiters’ to help out.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
It was night time - too dark for anyone to see if any land was nearby. Fortunately some passengers jumped and got to land anyway.
Like my mamma told me... be careful what you ask for, ‘cuz you might just get it...
I have a funny one to relay to my FRiends.
The other day we had my libinlaw over for supper, and my daughter asked me to push her chair in for her. Her liberal Gran started to reach over to do so, and my daughter objected and said “the gentleman should do it, Gran”... :)
The funny thing was, though “gran” objected to the “sexism” of the situation, I could tell she actually approved.
First I’m hearing of this whole thing.
Somebody catch me up...
Looks like the ship is laying in on the rocks in shallow water.
Lifeboats?
Looks like you could climb to the port side and sit there. Or, if fit enough, jump off the starboard side and walk ashore.
What am I missing?
Excellent response! Thank you for that.
LOL
Yes, thanks...I found it as well but what a great story!
Never go for a cruise on Friday the 13th.
That was my first thought too. Obviously it could be deceiving, but the first shots I saw, they were certainly no more than 1/4 mile.
Screenplay being written in 3, 2, 1...and you can bet your tail that the most EVIL, INCONSIDERATE of the men will be the richest ones. If there are any CEOs, they'll be the ones throwing women and children overboard.
Old, disabled, kids, non-swimmers, people who panic - most couldn’t swim the 200-odd yards of COLD water. Even if they could stay afloat hypothermia would get them in minutes.
HMS Birkenhead. She was a troopship. She struck a rock off South Africa, and sank. Women and children were put aboard the utterly inadequate number of lifeboats; the men stood at attention, in ranks, and went down with the ship.
“itallian cruise ships never had a “women and children” rule.”
Good point. No doubt everyone here is going to weigh this against some romantic footage from one of the Titanic flicks, withouth bothering to consider the reality of it.
The bulk of the “crew” on a cruise ship is comprised of hotel workers. These are not sailors in any sense of the word. In many cases, they are inexpensive 3rd worlders, happy to have the job and live in the conditions they live in.
They clean your toilets, wash your laundry, listen to your complaints. And then one day catastrophe. And now they’re supposed to die in your place too?
I’m betting that’s the point at which they decide to exercise their right to quit that job.
The first shots I saw were at night, and indeed it was much farther out, although still within swimming distance (for those who could swim). Not sure if they tugged it toward the shore after it tipped, or what.
Oh, please. This kind of this has happened before feminism, and has little to do with it. Louts have always been with us and will no doubt continue to be.
Think of a multistory building moving around leaning far over to its side while 4,000 people try to get out in the dark.
It wasn't sitting still and the panic would be immense.
Nice, huh? I guess if that's the trade-off, I'll take it. I like my equal pay, and if there's ever a crisis, I'll find my own boat, thank you very much.
Wouldn't they have been acting as "sexist male chauvinist pigs" had they done so?
Heh heh heh. Great story.
Given that 95% got into a lifeboat and how fast it happened, it actually sounds better than it could have been.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/15/timeline-the-costa-concordias-last-minutes/
- 9:30 pm: The ship strikes an outcropping some 300 metres (1,000 feet) from Giglio Island, according to experts.
- 9:35 pm: The electricity goes off. Many passengers begin to panic.
- 9:45 pm: A first alarm is sounded: two long whistles and one short, informing the crew of a problem.
- 9:50 pm: The ship begins to list. In the restaurants, dinnerware falls off the tables. Some passengers rush to their cabins for their life vests.
- 10:00 pm: Some passengers begin gathering on the fourth deck where the lifeboats are located, as the captain tries to manoeuvre the vessel closer to shore.
- 10:10 pm: The “abandon ship” signal is given: seven short whistles and one long. Lifeboats begin their deployment.
- 10:20 pm: The coastguard launches rescue operations with the help of speedboats and helicopters. Giglio’s 800-strong population turns out in force to help transfer passengers to shore.
Many passengers jump into the chilly waters instead of boarding lifeboats. Around 40 are injured, two seriously.
- 11:15 pm: The first lifeboat reaches Giglio. In all, some 4,000 of the ship’s 4,229 make it to safety aboard a lifeboat.
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