“Captain Coward” twice refused to be taken back to the shipwrecked Costa Concordia after escaping to dry land, an Italian court was told Tuesday.
Francesco Schettino claims he accidentally fell off the cruise ship and into a lifeboat that took him to shore after he ran aground in January 2012 near the Italian town of Giglio.
But the head of a police unit that coordinated the rescue testified that Schettino insisted he had to remain on the shore to deal with the unfolding crisis.
“When I got to the rock where Schettino was, I told him I would take him back to Giglio port so he could get on a dinghy and be taken back to the Concordia, and get back on board if need be,” Carlo Galli said.
“He told me he had to stay, to supervise his ship. When I repeated the invitation to take him back, another officer from the ship said it was a good idea to try and get back on board. Schettino said no again,” he said.
He said helicopters desperately ferrying survivors to safety flew over Schettino as he sat huddled on an outcrop near the shore.
Thirty-two people died, some drowning after throwing themselves into the icy sea. Italian media dubbed Schettino “Captain Coward.”