Costa Concordia: No one took charge of rescue effort, says Italian official

He managed to start hauling people out of water-logged corridors and then
helped others climb down into life boats.

“When the boat started listing, all the corridors filled with water,” he told
the BBC World Service. “They were like wells and there was a lot of people
stuck in these wells.

“Using a rope, I started to pull people up. They were crying and were really
scared.

“It was a purser of the ship who was helping me and we rescued about nine
people. People were fighting with each other in order to get on the rope to
climb up. I can’t condemn them because the situation was really bad. It was
really dramatic.”

Eventually, he located a young, second-class officer on the ship’s bridge who
had found a step ladder that they used to help people climb down.

“We were together shoulder to shoulder until 5:30 in the morning,” he said. “I
have to say this young officer was wonderful.

“He hadn’t been given any orders; he was just following his own orders.

“It was very difficult as there was some oil around, so climbing down the
steps and on to the ladder was extremely slippery. For children and old
people, it was especially difficult.

“This officer was very good but he was the only officer I met.”

The ship’s captain, Francisco Schettino, 52, has been accused of abandoning
the ship whilst passengers and crew were still on board.

He has claimed that he tripped and fell into a lifeboat by mistake.

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