Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera has released videos and audio recordings of the night the Costa Concordia ran aground off the Tuscan coast.
The rescue teams are heard communicating to coordinate their operations.
The Hufffington Post UK Translation:
“We rescued around a hundred people. No one is badly injured. The other rescue team is calming them down, but they all seem quite relaxed.”
“How many people are with the other rescue team, and presumably on board?”
“On board I am not sure. The other rescue team estimates about a hundred people.”
“On board there are about 50 people. We want to rescue them using the ladder”
They seem to keep track of every person on board, pointing out that an eight year-old girl is missing.
“I need a favour. We just received a report. An eight year-old girl has been rescued by the helicopter. We wanted to know if you have any information.”
“No, negative. I don’t know who has been rescued by the helicopter.”
Another video shows the passengers being rescued through the wooden ladder and making their way to the ground.
An audio recording of a conversation between four crew members stuck on one of the bridges and the rescuers witnesses the successful operation.
“The helicopter just flew over us. But I don’t know how to send him a signal. Should I wave my phone? Will they see the light?”
During the second communication, the voice is more distraught, “We have two people with down syndrome with us. We are still blocked here.”
Later, the woman is rescued and well. Her scoff testifies of her relaxed mood.
“We have been saved. But the French girl with whom I was, the stupid one, I don’t know where she ended up. But she was saved with me.”
According to theses videos, the situation seems under control. There is little or no indication of panic and distress, no one remotely fathomed the gravity of the situation.
No one imagined this is how it would end up.