sunken cruise ship captain

What Happened to The Captain of The Costa Concordia? – Conviction and Sentence

In January of 2012 the Costa Concordia, a cruise ship sailing for Costa Cruises capsized off the coast of Tuscany. The accident caused 32 deaths.

The Captain sailing the ship at the time was captain Francesco Schettino, who had worked for Costa Cruises for 11 years.

When the Costa Concordia crashed, she had over 3000 passengers and 1000 crew members on board.

The captain of the Costa Concordia, Francesco Schettino was found guilty of manslaughter in 2016 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Francesco Schettino was given 10 years for multiple manslaughters , 5 years for causing a shipwreck, and 1 year for abandoning the passengers at the time of the sinking.

What Role Did The Captain of The Costa Concordia Play in The Sinking of The Ship?

Schettino was the captain in charge of the cruise and was responsible for overseeing all safety aspects of the ship and cruise, including setting the course for the ship to follow.

In the case of the Costa Concordia, captain Schettino decided to sail closer to the coast than usual. It’s still unclear why he did this. Schettino said that Costa Cruises had asked him to perform a sail past but Costa Cruises have confirmed that Schettino didn’t take the approved route.

As the ship was sailing south of the entrance to Giglio Porto harbor in Tuscany, the side of the ship hit a reef. Schettino said that before approaching this area, he had turned off the alarm system for the navigational systems.

Schettino stated:

“I was navigating by sight, because I knew those seabeds well. I had done the move three, four times.” Schettino

When Schettino saw waves breaking on the reef, he turned abruptly and swung the side of the ship into the reef. It’s reported that this was approximately 300 metres from land.

When the ship first hit, Costa Cruises told passengers it was an electrical failure and would be soon fixed. Guests were told to go back to their cabins.

The ship began to list 20 degrees which made it difficult to launch lifeboats.

Why Did The Captain of The Costa Concordia Hit The Reef?

There are a number of theories as to why the Captain of the Costa Concordia hit the reef and sank the ship. The most likely reason is that Schettino was negligent and took too many risks.

Another theory is that Schettino was distracted by a lady he had brought onboard the ship. It’s reported that the two were in a romantic relationship, she did not pay to come onboard the cruise and was with Schettino at the time of the accident. Schettino did have a wife and daughter who were not on the cruise.

Some accounts have reported that Schettinos hair showed trace amounts of cocaine and that there was a considerable amount of cocaine on the ship as it capsized.

What Did Captain of The Costa Concordia do After Hitting The Reef?

The ship hit the reef at 22:12 and authorities were not alerted to the problem until 22:42 despite port officials asking the Costa Concordia if there was a problem on board. Schettino insisted the ship was just suffering from a blackout.

It’s a maritime tradition that the captain always goes down with his ship. Meaning that the captain should make sure that everybody else is off the ship before they disembark. Francesco didn’t do this and decided instead to save himself.

He disobeyed orders to go back to the ship.

Now you go to the bow, you climb up the emergency ladder and coordinate the evacuation. You must tell us how many people, children, women and passengers are there and the exact number of each category,” said officials to Francesco Schettino. “What are you doing? Are you abandoning the rescue? Captain, this is an order, I am the one in charge now. You have declared abandoning ship,” he said, adding: “There are already bodies.” “How many?” Schettino says, prompting the cutting reply: “That is for you to tell me, what are you doing? Do you want to go home?” –  source

The full conversation with Captain Schettino can be heard on the video below (english subtitles available).

By 01:00 there were 100 passengers still on the ship. A full 90 minutes after Schettino had abandoned the ship.

At 03:00 it’s estimated that 40-50 people were still onboard. 32 bodies were later recovered from the wreckage.

Recommended Watching: Terror At Sea – The Sinking Of The Concordia

To hear real life accounts of the events mentioned above I’d recommend watching the documentary Terror at Sea. It’s the best documentary I’ve seen about the accident. The documentary explores sinking in detail and has a number of interesting interviews with the people that were involved.

The show can be watched on Amazon Prime. If you don’t have Amazon Prime you can use this link to sign up for a 30 day free trial. You won’t need more than 30 days to watch the show, it’s only 47 minutes long.

What Was The Captain of The Costa Concordia Sentenced For?

The courts had to decide why Schettino followed a different route, why a mayday wasn’t immediately called and why he abandoned the ship.

Captain Schettino was detained on suspicion of manslaughter. He was charged with causing a shipwreck caused by ‘imprudence, negligence and incompetence ‘ . He was also charged for abandoning 300 people who were unable to disembark the ship.

Costa Concordia Crew Convicted Crimes and Prison Times

The following crew members were found guilty following the sinking of the Costa Concordia.

Is The Costa Concordia Captain Still in Prison?

The captain of the Costa Concordia Francesco Schettino is still in prison for his part in the sinking. He was sentenced to 16 years in 2016. He was 54 at the time and not expected to leave prison until he is at least 70 years old.

The captain should be in prison until 2032 and is serving his sentence in Rome.

The Costa Concordia Changed Cruising Forever

Following the sinking of the Costa Concordia, a number of safety measures were put in place.

At the time of the sinking, guests boarding a cruise had to have a safety drill within 24 hours of embarkation, this meant that guests who had embarked on the day of the accident hadn’t yet had their safety drill.

To learn more about how the accident changed the muster drill, check out this post: What is a Muster Drill on a Cruise? Everything You Need to Know

Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide

Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.

This FREE guide shows you everything you need to know to find your perfect cruise line.

Enter your email address below:

'We all suffer from PTSD': 10 years after the Costa Concordia cruise disaster, memories remain

GIGLIO, Italy — Ten years have passed since the Costa Concordia cruise ship slammed into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. But for the passengers on board and the residents who welcomed them ashore, the memories of that harrowing, freezing night remain vividly etched into their minds.

The dinner plates that flew off the tables when the rocks first gashed the hull. The blackout after the ship's engine room flooded and its generators failed. The final mad scramble to evacuate the listing liner and then the extraordinary generosity of Giglio islanders who offered shoes, sweatshirts and shelter until the sun rose and passengers were ferried to the mainland.

Italy on Thursday is marking the 10th anniversary of the Concordia disaster with a daylong commemoration that will end with a candlelit vigil near the moment the ship hit the reef: 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2012. The events will honor the 32 people who died that night, the 4,200 survivors, but also the residents of Giglio, who took in passengers and crew and then lived with the Concordia's wrecked carcass off their shore for another two years until it was righted and hauled away for scrap.

► CDC travel guidance: CDC warns 'avoid cruise travel' after more than 5,000 COVID cases in two weeks amid omicron

“For us islanders, when we remember some event, we always refer to whether it was before or after the Concordia,” said Matteo Coppa, who was 23 and fishing on the jetty when the darkened Concordia listed toward shore and then collapsed onto its side in the water.

“I imagine it like a nail stuck to the wall that marks that date, as a before and after,” he said, recounting how he joined the rescue effort that night, helping pull ashore the dazed, injured and freezing passengers from lifeboats.

The sad anniversary comes as the cruise industry, shut down in much of the world for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, is once again in the spotlight because of COVID-19 outbreaks that threaten passenger safety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control last month  warned people across-the-board not to go on cruises, regardless of their vaccination status, because of the risks of infection.

► 'We found out while we were flying': Last-minute cruise cancellations leave travelers scrambling

► 'The Disney magic is gone' ... or is it?: Longtime fans weigh in on changes at Disney World

'We all suffer from PTSD'

For Concordia survivor Georgia Ananias, the COVID-19 infections are just the latest evidence that passenger safety still isn’t a top priority for the cruise ship industry. Passengers aboard the Concordia were largely left on their own to find life jackets and a functioning lifeboat after the captain steered the ship close too shore in a stunt. He then delayed an evacuation order until it was too late, with lifeboats unable to lower because the ship was listing too heavily.

“I always said this will not define me, but you have no choice," Ananias said in an interview from her home in Los Angeles, Calif. “We all suffer from PTSD. We had a lot of guilt that we survived and 32 other people died.”

Prosecutors blamed the delayed evacuation order and conflicting instructions given by crew for the chaos that ensued as passengers scrambled to get off the ship. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is serving a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning a ship before all the passengers and crew had evacuated.

Ananias and her family declined Costa’s initial $14,500 compensation offered to each passenger and sued Costa, a unit of U.S.-based Carnival Corp., to try to cover the cost of their medical bills and therapy for the post-traumatic stress they have suffered. But after eight years in the U.S. and then Italian court system, they lost their case.

“I think people need to be aware that when you go on a cruise, that if there is a problem, you will not have the justice that you may be used to in the country in which you are living,” said Ananias, who went onto become a top official in the International Cruise Victims association, an advocacy group that lobbies to improve safety aboard ships and increase transparency and accountability in the industry.

Costa didn’t respond to emails seeking comment on the anniversary.

► Royal Caribbean cancels sailings: Pushes back restart on several ships over COVID

'We did something incredible'

Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, stressed in a statement to The Associated Press that passenger and crew safety was the industry's top priority, and that cruising remains one of the safest vacation experiences available.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the victims of the Concordia tragedy and their families on this sad anniversary," CLIA said. It said it has worked over the past 10 years with the International Maritime Organization and the maritime industry to “drive a safety culture that is based on continuous improvement."

For Giglio Mayor Sergio Ortelli, the memories of that night run the gamut: the horror of seeing the capsized ship, the scramble to coordinate rescue services on shore, the recovery of the first bodies and then the pride that islanders rose to the occasion to tend to the survivors.

► Cruising during COVID-19: Cancellation, refund policies vary by cruise line

Ortelli was later on hand when, in September 2013, the 115,000-ton, 1,000-foot long cruise ship was righted vertical off its seabed graveyard in an extraordinary feat of engineering. But the night of the disaster, a Friday the 13th, remains seared in his memory.

“It was a night that, in addition to being a tragedy, had a beautiful side because the response of the people was a spontaneous gesture that was appreciated around the world,” Ortelli said.

It seemed the natural thing to do at the time. “But then we realized that on that night, in just a few hours, we did something incredible.”

• History Classics
• Your Profile
• Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
• This Day In History
• History Podcasts
• History Vault

The Costa Concordia Disaster: How Human Error Made It Worse

By: Becky Little

Updated: August 10, 2023 | Original: June 23, 2021

Many famous naval disasters happen far out at sea, but on January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia wrecked just off the coast of an Italian island in relatively shallow water. The avoidable disaster killed 32 people and seriously injured many others, and left investigators wondering: Why was the luxury cruise ship sailing so close to the shore in the first place?

During the ensuing trial, prosecutors came up with a tabloid-ready explanation : The married ship captain had sailed it so close to the island to impress a much younger Moldovan dancer with whom he was having an affair.

Whether or not Captain Francesco Schettino was trying to impress his girlfriend is debatable. (Schettino insisted the ship sailed close to shore to salute other mariners and give passengers a good view.) But whatever the reason for getting too close, the Italian courts found the captain, four crew members and one official from the ship’s company, Costa Crociere (part of Carnival Corporation), to be at fault for causing the disaster and preventing a safe evacuation. The wreck was not the fault of unexpected weather or ship malfunction—it was a disaster caused entirely by a series of human errors.

“At any time when you have an incident similar to Concordia, there is never…a single causal factor,” says Brad Schoenwald, a senior marine inspector at the United States Coast Guard. “It is generally a sequence of events, things that line up in a bad way that ultimately create that incident.”

Wrecking Near the Shore

The Concordia was supposed to take passengers on a seven-day Italian cruise from Civitavecchia to Savona. But when it deviated from its planned path to sail closer to the island of Giglio, the ship struck a reef known as the Scole Rocks. The impact damaged the ship, allowing water to seep in and putting the 4,229 people on board in danger.

Sailing close to shore to give passengers a nice view or salute other sailors is known as a “sail-by,” and it’s unclear how often cruise ships perform these maneuvers. Some consider them to be dangerous deviations from planned routes. In its investigative report on the 2012 disaster, Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructures and Transports found that the Concordia “was sailing too close to the coastline, in a poorly lit shore area…at an unsafe distance at night time and at high speed (15.5 kts).”

In his trial, Captain Schettino blamed the shipwreck on Helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin, who he claimed reacted incorrectly to his order; and argued that if the helmsman had reacted correctly and quickly, the ship wouldn’t have wrecked. However, an Italian naval admiral testified in court that even though the helmsman was late in executing the captain’s orders, “the crash would’ve happened anyway.” (The helmsman was one of the four crew members convicted in court for contributing to the disaster.)

A Questionable Evacuation

Evidence introduced in Schettino’s trial suggests that the safety of his passengers and crew wasn’t his number one priority as he assessed the damage to the Concordia. The impact and water leakage caused an electrical blackout on the ship, and a recorded phone call with Costa Crociere’s crisis coordinator, Roberto Ferrarini, shows he tried to downplay and cover up his actions by saying the blackout was what actually caused the accident.

“I have made a mess and practically the whole ship is flooding,” Schettino told Ferrarini while the ship was sinking. “What should I say to the media?… To the port authorities I have said that we had…a blackout.” (Ferrarini was later convicted for contributing to the disaster by delaying rescue operations.)

Schettino also didn’t immediately alert the Italian Search and Rescue Authority about the accident. The impact on the Scole Rocks occurred at about 9:45 p.m. local time, and the first person to contact rescue officials about the ship was someone on the shore, according to the investigative report. Search and Rescue contacted the ship a few minutes after 10:00 p.m., but Schettino didn’t tell them what had happened for about 20 more minutes.

A little more than an hour after impact, the crew began to evacuate the ship. But the report noted that some passengers testified that they didn’t hear the alarm to proceed to the lifeboats. Evacuation was made even more chaotic by the ship listing so far to starboard, making walking inside very difficult and lowering the lifeboats on one side, near to impossible. Making things worse, the crew had dropped the anchor incorrectly, causing the ship to flop over even more dramatically.

Through the confusion, the captain somehow made it into a lifeboat before everyone else had made it off. A coast guard member angrily told him on the phone to “Get back on board, damn it!” —a recorded sound bite that turned into a T-shirt slogan in Italy.

Schettino argued that he fell into a lifeboat because of how the ship was listing to one side, but this argument proved unconvincing. In 2015, a court found Schettino guilty of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, abandoning ship before passengers and crew were evacuated and lying to authorities about the disaster. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. In addition to Schettino, Ferrarini and Rusli Bin, the other people who received convictions for their role in the disaster were Cabin Service Director Manrico Giampedroni, First Officer Ciro Ambrosio and Third Officer Silvia Coronica.

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

Met Gala 2024: See some of the night's biggest highlights!

• TODAY Plaza
• Share this —

• Watch Full Episodes
• Read With Jenna
• Inspirational
• Relationships
• TODAY Table
• Newsletters
• Start TODAY
• Shop TODAY Awards
• Citi Concert Series
• Listen All Day

Follow today

More Brands

• On The Show

10 years later, Costa Concordia survivors share their stories from doomed cruise ship

Ten years after the deadly Costa Concordia cruise line disaster in Italy, survivors still vividly remember scenes of chaos they say were like something straight out of the movie "Titanic."

NBC News correspondent Kelly Cobiella caught up with a group of survivors on TODAY Wednesday, a decade after they escaped a maritime disaster that claimed the lives of 32 people. The Italian cruise ship ran aground off the tiny Italian island of Giglio after striking an underground rock and capsizing.

"I think it’s the panic, the feeling of panic, is what’s carried through over 10 years," Ian Donoff, who was on the cruise with his wife Janice for their honeymoon, told Cobiella. "And it’s just as strong now."

More than 4,000 passengers and crew were on board when the ship crashed into rocks in the dark in the Mediterranean Sea, sending seawater rushing into the vessel as people scrambled for their lives.

The ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, had been performing a sail-past salute of Giglio when he steered the ship too close to the island and hit the jagged reef, opening a 230-foot gash in the side of the cruise liner.

Passengers struggled to escape in the darkness, clambering to get to the life boats. Alaska resident Nate Lukes was with his wife, Cary, and their four daughters aboard the ship and remembers the chaos that ensued as the ship started to sink.

"There was really a melee there is the best way to describe it," he told Cobiella. "It's very similar to the movie 'Titanic.' People were jumping onto the top of the lifeboats and pushing down women and children to try to get to them."

The lifeboats wouldn't drop down because the ship was tilted on its side, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on the side of the ship for hours in the cold. People were left to clamber down a rope ladder over a distance equivalent to 11 stories.

"Everybody was rushing for the lifeboats," Nate Lukes said. "I felt like (my daughters) were going to get trampled, and putting my arms around them and just holding them together and letting the sea of people go by us."

Schettino was convicted of multiple manslaughter as well as abandoning ship after leaving before all the passengers had reached safety. He is now serving a 16-year prison sentence .

It took nearly two years for the damaged ship to be raised from its side before it was towed away to be scrapped.

The calamity caused changes in the cruise industry like carrying more lifejackets and holding emergency drills before leaving port.

A decade after that harrowing night, the survivors are grateful to have made it out alive. None of the survivors who spoke with Cobiella have been on a cruise since that day.

"I said that if we survive this, then our marriage will have to survive forever," Ian Donoff said.

Scott Stump is a trending reporter and the writer of the daily newsletter This is TODAY (which you should subscribe to here! ) that brings the day's news, health tips, parenting stories, recipes and a daily delight right to your inbox. He has been a regular contributor for TODAY.com since 2011, producing features and news for pop culture, parents, politics, health, style, food and pretty much everything else. 

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Captain of Ship That Capsized Off Italy in ’12 Is Convicted

By Gaia Pianigiani

• Feb. 11, 2015

ROME — An Italian court on Wednesday convicted the captain of a cruise liner that capsized in 2012 , killing 32 people, of manslaughter and sentenced him to just over 16 years in prison for his role in one of the worst maritime disasters in modern Italian history.

The captain, Francesco Schettino, 54, was convicted of multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the vessel, the Costa Concordia, before all of its 4,229 passengers and crew members had been evacuated. The court also barred him from commanding a ship for five years and from ever holding public office.

The captain’s lawyers said they would appeal the verdict. Captain Schettino will remain free in the meantime; under Italian law, the appeals process can take years to resolve. The captain was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read.

Prosecutors in the Tuscan town of Grosseto, where the trial was held, had sought a sentence of more than 26 years for Captain Schettino , whom they held responsible for sailing too close to shore and hitting a submerged rock off the island of Giglio, and for not promptly ordering the ship’s evacuation.

Francesco Pope, one of Captain Schettino’s lawyers, called the prosecutors’ sentencing request “enormous” in a telephone interview after the verdict was announced. “I’d only like to point out that the judges reduced that by almost half,” he said.

In closing arguments that went on for days, prosecutors attacked Captain Schettino’s conduct on the night of the shipwreck, calling him a “reckless idiot” and accusing him of making deadly mistakes and lying to passengers, maritime authorities and rescue officials.

One of the prosecutors, Alessandro Leopizzi, noted how the captain had managed to reach Giglio safely, “without even getting his feet wet,” while passengers remained on the tilting ship. In taped conversations from that night , the captain told a coast guard official that he had tripped onto a lifeboat before the evacuation was completed.

Although Captain Schettino acknowledged some responsibility for the disaster during the trial, he defended the decisions he made, such as not dropping the anchor soon after the ship struck the rock. He also said he delayed sounding an alarm to prevent greater panic among the passengers.

“I was put in a media meat grinder,” Captain Schettino said in his final remarks to the court before the verdict was read Wednesday. “That has put the entire responsibility for this incident on to me, with no respect for the truth.”

He maintained in court that he had saved lives by steering the cruise liner toward the coast. In defending his actions, the captain said his orders were not executed correctly by his crew, including an Indonesian helmsman who veered the ship in the opposite direction. Captain Schettino also cited technical malfunctions.

Several passengers told the court about various equipment failures in the chaotic hours after the impact, including a faulty emergency generator, as well as mistakes made by other crew members, some of whom spoke neither Italian nor English.

The court also ordered Captain Schettino and the company that operated the ship, Costa Cruises, to pay damages of 30,000 euros, or about $34,000, in compensation to each passenger, and several million euros to local and national government bodies for the environmental harm caused by the accident.

Captain Schettino was the only defendant in the trial. Five other employees of Costa Cruises who were indicted in the case were allowed to make plea deals in the early stages of the proceedings; none are serving prison time.

The company has already paid €1 million in administrative sanctions in connection with the disaster, and it offered in January to settle with each uninjured passenger for about $14,400.

Under Italian law, companies can be held responsible for their employees’ conduct, but the ship’s operator was not indicted in the case. Costa Cruises is controlled by the Carnival Corporation.

The 19-month trial was held in a theater because of the large number of people involved, including hundreds of witnesses who discussed complicated technical details.

Come Sail Away

Love them or hate them, cruises can provide a unique perspective on travel..

 Cruise Ship Surprises: Here are five unexpected features on ships , some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.

 Icon of the Seas: Our reporter joined thousands of passengers on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas . The most surprising thing she found? Some actual peace and quiet .

Th ree-Year Cruise, Unraveled:  The Life at Sea cruise was supposed to be the ultimate bucket-list experience : 382 port calls over 1,095 days. Here’s why  those who signed up are seeking fraud charges  instead.

TikTok’s Favorite New ‘Reality Show’:  People on social media have turned the unwitting passengers of a nine-month world cruise  into  “cast members”  overnight.

Dipping Their Toes: Younger generations of travelers are venturing onto ships for the first time . Many are saving money.

Cult Cruisers: These devoted cruise fanatics, most of them retirees, have one main goal: to almost never touch dry land .

Watch CBS News

Concordia Cruise Disaster

Costa Concordia captain sentenced for deadly wreck

Francesco Schettino, a "reckless idiot" according to prosecutors, had been accused of abandoning ship as it sank while most were still aboard

• Feb 11, 2015

Costa Concordia verdict looms: "Reckless" captain to learn fate

Francesco Schettino accused of causing deadly shipwreck and abandoning liner when many on board were desperately trying to save themselves

• Feb 9, 2015

Prosecutor: Shipwreck captain left victims "without even getting his shoes wet"

Prosecutors ask court to sentence Costa Concordia captain to 26 years in prison for the 2012 shipwreck that killed 32 people

• Jan 26, 2015

Shipwreck captain: I wasn't trying to impress lover

In first court testimony about deadly Costa Concordia wreck, Francesco Schettino explains why he took liner close to shore

• Dec 2, 2014

Workers find body while dismantling the Costa Concordia

Body of Indian waiter Russel Rebello discovered in a passenger's cabin on the eighth deck

• Nov 3, 2014

Costa Concordia completes its final voyage

Tragic cruise liner eased into Genoa's port, where it will be scrapped after search for missing Indian waiter, the only body of 32 victims never found

• Jul 27, 2014

Costa Concordia, the Italian cruise ship that sank off the coast of Italy in January 2012, is finally leaving her resting place

Costa Concordia, the Italian cruise ship that sank off the coast of Italy in January 2012, is finally leaving her resting place. The ship is being towed to a port in Genoa, Italy, where it will be salvaged. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Giglio, Italy.

• Jul 24, 2014

Costa Concordia making final voyage from disaster site

Cruise liner slowly being towed away from the tiny Italian island where it capsized more than two years ago, killing 32 people

• Jul 23, 2014

Crews have finally completed the salvage and are towing the Costa Concorida to a scrapyard in Northern Italy

Crews have finally completed the salvage and are towing the Costa Concorida to a scrapyard in Northern Italy. Work to remove the ship cost more than $2 billion. Norah O'Donnell reports.

The shipwreck - the target of one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history - is now floating about 3-feet off the platform

Time-lapse video shows the raising of the wrecked Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia from the underwater platform it has been resting on for the past year.

• Jul 15, 2014

Off the coast of Italy, Costa Concordia is one step closer to being towed to its final resting place

Off the coast of Italy, Costa Concordia is one step closer to being towed to its final resting place. The ship ran aground more than years ago, killing 32 people. Mark Phillips reports from Giglio, Italy.

It took a massive operation and $1.5 billion to refloat the Costa Concordia cruise ship

It took a massive operation and $1.5 billion to refloat the Costa Concordia cruise ship. The giant craft will now be towed 200 miles across open ocean before being scrapped. Mark Phillips reports.

• Jul 14, 2014

Costa Concordia cruise ship to be scrapped

​It took one small act of incompetence to wreck the cruise ship, but it's taken 2.5 years and about $1 billion to get to the point of refloating the wreck

Moving Costa Concordia wreck may be as difficult as flipping it over

The Costa Concordia cruise ship that capsized off the coast of Italy in January 2012 is now right-side-up after a 19-hour operation

• Sep 17, 2013

5 more bodies found in Concordia wreckage

The bodies were discovered under the hull of the Italian cruise ship; 30 bodies now found and only 2 remain missing

• Sep 6, 2013

Costa Concordia capt. vows to take helm again

Disgraced Francesco Schettino returns to court to contest his dismissal, vows he will "certainly" command a ship again

Carnival CEO talks turning around cruise line

Peter Greenberg on the new CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines and what he's trying to do to improve the company's image

• Sep 3, 2013

A world askew: Shooting the Costa Concordia

Rare and eerie images of the half-sunken passenger ship marooned off the coast of Tuscany

• Sep 1, 2013

Memorial on anniversary of Costa Concordia disaster

Victims of the cruise ship accident remembered, as shell of capsized ship still remains

• Jan 13, 2013

Costa Concordia victims mark 1-year anniversary

Survivors of disaster and relatives of the dead join at the site of cruise liner run aground off Italy to remember 32 lives lost

The Costa Concordia, one year later

• Jan 12, 2013

Cruise survivors get cold shoulder a year later

Costa Concordia company's chief executive tells survivors of 2012 shipwreck they're not invited to official anniversary ceremonies

• Jan 11, 2013

Costa Concordia: Salvaging a shipwreck

Eleven months after wrecking at sea, the Italian luxury liner awaits one of the most expensive and daunting salvage operations ever

Costa Concordia survivors talk life 1 year later

From PTSD therapy to safety activism, some survivors discuss how life has changed since ship capsized off the Italian coast

Costa Concordia survivors detail experience one year later

Passengers share haunting memories as the one-year anniversary of the cruise ship Costa Concordia crash that killed 32 people, approaches

U.S. soldier is detained in Russia, officials confirm

A U.S. soldier has been detained in Russia, officials confirmed.

Hamas says it approves of cease-fire plan, but Israel says it has "gaps"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says the proposal is "far from meeting Israel's core demands."

Afghan diplomat accused of smuggling gold into India resigns

Zakia Wardak, Afghanistan's top diplomat in India, announced her resignation after reportedly being stopped at an airport with the gold cache.

Russia plans tactical nuclear weapons drills near Ukraine border

Claiming a "new round of escalation" from NATO amid the war in Ukraine, Russia plans drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons.

Massive rescue effort as floods inundate southern Brazilian metropolis

Historic flooding has left the wealthy Brazilian city of Porto Alegre underwater, with more than 80 people dead and many awaiting rescue.

Rafah assault looks imminent as hope fades for Israel-Hamas cease-fire

Israel has told Palestinians in part of the southern Gaza city of Rafah to evacuate ahead of a long-promised ground offensive.

Bodies of missing surfers found with bullet wounds, Mexican officials say

Officials confirmed the bodies found in a well last week in Mexico belonged to three missing surfers and that they each had bullet wounds.

Madonna concert brings estimated 1.6 million to Rio's Copacabana beach

Madonna put on a free concert in Rio de Janeiro, turning a stretch of Copacabana beach into an enormous dance floor.

Floods in southern Brazil kill at least 60, more than 100 missing

Massive floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 60 people and another 101 are reported missing, according to Sunday's toll from local authorities.

Jury in Trump trial gets inside look into Michael Cohen payments

Prosecutors are continuing to call witnesses in former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York​, where jurors heard from a former Trump Organization executive.

White-coated candy recalled nationwide over salmonella risk

Recall includes yogurt pretzels and other confections sold by retailers such as Dollar General, HyVee, Target and Walmart.

Social Security projected to cut benefits in 2035 barring a fix

Without a major change, Social Security may be forced to cut benefits in 2035, a year later than previously forecast.

Some students want colleges to divest from Israel. Here's what that means.

College protesters are demanding divestment as a way to deliver change, although its effectiveness isn't clear cut.

See the Met Gala red carpet arrivals, from Zendaya to Lizzo to Cardi B

The stars are out for the the 2024 Met Gala tonight in New York City. See some of the most eye-catching outfits of the night.

• updated 25M ago

Equinox's new fitness program aims to extend your life — for $40,000

A new membership from luxury fitness chain Equinox includes a battery of tests normally reserved for professional athletes.

Condé Nast union reaches labor agreement, won't picket Met Gala

Condé Nast employees were set to walk off the job only hours before the Met Gala, chaired by company editorial director Anna Wintour.

Gov. Kristi Noem faces questions about false claim she met Kim Jong Un

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem would not answer a question about whether the meeting with the North Korean leader actually occurred.

HealthWatch

Are you protecting yourself from skin cancer with these steps?

A survey from the American Academy of Dermatology​ finds more than one-third of adults reported getting a sunburn last year — the highest number since 2020.

Planters nuts sold in 5 states recalled due to listeria fears

Hormel Foods says potentially contaminated products were shipped to Publix and Dollar Tree distribution warehouses.

Steward Health Care files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Steward Health Care, the struggling hospital group that owns hospitals in Massachusetts, Texas, Florida and other states, announced Monday that it is filing for bankruptcy.

CDC says bird flu viruses "pose pandemic potential," cites major knowledge gaps

The Texas dairy worker infected by H5N1 "did not disclose the name of their workplace," frustrating investigators.

Entertainment

Miss USA suddenly resigns, urges people to prioritize mental health

Miss USA Noelia Voigt said she's stepping down and relinquishing her crown.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, explained

Kendrick Lamar and Drake have each released several ruthless diss tracks against each other, with Kendrick alleging Drake has a secret daughter and making other disturbing accusations.

Tom Selleck talks 6 decades in Hollywood

From "Magnum, P.I." to "Blue Bloods," Tom Selleck has become a staple of American television and film. In his latest memoir, "You Never Know," Selleck shares insights from his journey in Hollywood and beyond.

Cedric the Entertainer on "The Neighborhood"

Cedric the Entertainer gives an exclusive first look at tonight's season six finale of "The Neighborhood."

Students use "Sidechat" app for protests

Sidechat, an app launched in 2022 where students can post anonymously about their colleges, is becoming a tool for those choosing to protest at U.S. campuses. Amanda Silberling, a senior culture writer for TechCrunch, joins CBS News with more details on the app.

Microsoft expanding biometric passkey access

Microsoft users can now use biometric passkeys, like a thumbprint or Face ID, to sign into Microsoft 365, Copilot. Jon Fingas, senior editor at Techopedia, has more.

How AI powered robots are helping small farms

From labor shortages to environmental impacts, farmers are looking to AI to help revolutionize the agriculture industry. One California startup, Farm-ng, is tapping into the power of AI and robotics to perform a wide range of tasks, including seeding, weeding and harvesting.

What is Sidechat? The controversial messaging app, explained

Sidechat, an anonymous messaging app, has been used by students to share opinions and updates, but university administrators say it has also fueled hateful rhetoric.

New nuclear reactor comes online in Georgia

Georgia is home to the nation's newest nuclear reactor. It's bringing clean energy to the state, but the project has run over budget and past its original completion date. Drew Kann, climate and environment reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joins CBS News to explore the effort.

Countdown is on for historic Boeing launch

Boeing's Starliner was set to make its maiden voyage to the International Space Station, with its first piloted launch Monday night. But the launch, already pushed back following years of delays, was scrubbed with less than two hours to go before liftoff. Mark Strassmanm reports.

Hammerhead flatworm sightings in Canada

Reported sightings of giant, toxic, invasive hammerhead flatworms are on the rise in parts of southeastern Canada. Experts say the worms can grow up to 3 feet long and pose a risk to children, pets and other small animals. Peter Ducey, PH.D. and distinguished teaching professor at SUNY Cortland, joins CBS News to discuss the worm.

Ingenuity, NASA's "little 'copter that could" (and did!)

When NASA added a tiny four-pound helicopter as a stowaway to its Mars 2020 lander, it expected the helicopter to fly five very brief flights in the thin Martian atmosphere. Yet, Ingenuity would far surpass all expectations.

Ingenuity: NASA's remarkable Martian helicopter

When NASA added a drone named Ingenuity to its Mars 2020 rover Perseverance, it expected the tiny four-pound helicopter to fly a total of five very brief missions in the thin Martian atmosphere. But Ingenuity far surpassed all expectations, flying dozens of flights before suffering damage to its rotors in January. Correspondent David Pogue reports on how the tiny drone, created from off-the-shelf parts, continued to provide valuable data and images from the Red Planet three years into its mission.

Bumblebee nests are under attack – and it's killing their babies

There's a newly-determined "major factor" in declining bumblebee populations – and it's attacking their nests.

Man sitting along highway confesses to woman's 2016 murder

A man has confessed to killing a woman at her apartment near Oklahoma City in 2016. He is being held on a first-degree murder charge.

Abducted baby found alive after 2 women killed, girl injured in New Mexico

Police identified the victims as Samantha Cisneros and Taryn Allen and said a 5-year-old girl was injured with a gunshot wound.

Man accused of trying to shoot pastor during sermon at Pennsylvania church

A church service in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, was upended Sunday when a man pulled a gun on the pastor in the middle of his sermon.

Detective's affair exposed during wife's murder investigation

Brian Fanion says he and his wife Amy Fanion had been arguing about his retirement plans when she picked up his service weapon and shot herself. Investigators did not believe his story.

What to know about Boeing's Starliner launch

Boeing's Starliner space capsule is set for a historic launch Monday night. CBS News space consultant Bill Harwood looks at the long-awaited mission into orbit, and what it could mean for the future of space travel.

Planned crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft scrubbed

The planned crewed launch of Boeing's long-delayed Starliner crew ferry ship was called off with less than two hours to go before liftoff.

Boeing to launch Starliner

After years of delays, Boeing is set to launch its Starliner spacecraft with a crew for the first time Monday. The test flight will carry two astronauts to the International Space Station.

When and where you can see the Eta Aquariids meteor shower peak

The Eta Aquariids​ meteor shower will peak overnight on Sunday into Monday, according to NASA.

Boeing preps Starliner crew ferry ship for first piloted test flight

Two veteran astronauts will put the Starliner through its paces in the ship's first piloted flight to orbit.

Latest Galleries

Notable Deaths in 2024

A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.

PHOTOS: Baltimore bridge collapses after cargo ship rams into overpass

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday, March 26 after a column was struck by a container ship that reportedly lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River.

Could an Alabama woman have shot herself twice?

When Tiffiney Crawford was found dead inside her van, authorities believed she might have taken her own life. But could she shoot herself twice in the head with her non-dominant hand?

CBS newsman Charles Osgood (1933-2024)

We look back at the life and career of the longtime host of "Sunday Morning," and "one of the most enduring and most endearing" people in broadcasting.

Texas couple investigates teen daughter's unusual death

Cayley Mandadi's mother and stepfather go to extreme lengths to prove her death was no accident.

Latest CBS News Videos

Breaking down the latest presidential polls

Key battleground states across the country are essentially even, according to a recent CBS News poll. Executive director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto examines the numbers. Then, journalists Jasmine Wright and Daniella Diaz join with analysis.

John Dickerson on the politics of lying

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is in trouble for telling the truth about what she did to her dog and lying about what she didn't do on the world stage. CBS News chief political analyst John Dickerson explains.

Celebrities walk 2024 Met Gala red carpet

The 2024 Met Gala is underway with celebrities arriving for the red carpet. CBS News New York reporter Ali Bauman has more from outside the Met.

Hamas says it accepts cease-fire proposal

Hamas said Monday it had accepted a proposed cease-fire deal with Israel presented by Egypt and Qatar. Earlier in the day, President Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about efforts to secure a hostage deal and had lunch with King Abdullah of Jordan. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe reports.

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

Pictures: 5 Cruise Ship Disasters That Changed Travel

Some good may yet come of Italy's Costa Concordia wreck. At least since Titanic, cruise accidents have sparked new safety standards.

For Hungry Minds

Related topics.

• CRUISE SHIPS

You May Also Like

What to pack for a cruise

How to spend 10 days exploring the Croatian islands

Is the cruise industry ready for the rise in solo travel?

In this one-house town, Alaska’s wilderness is at your fingertips

Fish, fire and flavours in the southern Japanese city of Kochi

• Environment

History & Culture

• History & Culture
• History Magazine
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Coronavirus Coverage
• Paid Content
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

This Ship Mysteriously Vanished 115 Years Ago. Now, It’s Been Found at the Bottom of Lake Superior

Nobody knew what happened to the “Adella Shores,” which disappeared with 14 crew members aboard in 1909

Daily Correspondent

On May 1, 1909, the wooden steamship Adella Shores was following behind a larger vessel across the ice-covered waters of Lake Superior. Not long after rounding Michigan’s Whitefish Point, the Adella Shores disappeared. Nobody saw what happened, but all 14 crew members are presumed to have perished in the accident.

Now, more than a century later, the mysterious shipwreck has been found under 650 feet of water roughly 40 miles northwest of Whitefish Point. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced the find last Wednesday, the anniversary of the vessel’s disappearance.

Researchers stumbled upon the shipwreck during the summer of 2021, when they were using  side-scan sonar to scour the lakebed for unusual shapes. Darryl Ertel, director of marine operations for the historical society, spotted something on the sonar imagery that caught his eye—and, based on the size and location, he had a hunch it was the Adella Shores .

He confirmed his suspicion using a remote-operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with cameras.

“I pretty much knew that had to be the Adella Shores when I measured the length of it, because there were no other ships out there missing in that size range,” says Ertel in a statement from the historical society. “As soon as I put the ROV down on it for the first time, I could see the design of the ship, and I could match it right up to the Adella Shores .”

Since identifying the wreck nearly three years ago, historical society staffers have been thoroughly researching the Adella Shores to ensure they “tell the story accurately,” as Corey Adkins, a spokesperson for the organization, says in the statement.

“People often ask us why we wait so long to release shipwrecks that we find,” he adds. “Every one of these stories is important and deserves to be told with the utmost honor and respect.”

The Adella Shores may have been doomed from the start—if you believe in maritime superstitions. The 195-foot-long steamer was constructed in Gibraltar, Michigan, in 1894 for the Shores Lumber Company. It was named for the owner’s daughter, Adella.

During the ceremonial christening of the new vessel, Adella’s sister, Bessie, smashed a bottle of water against its hull—instead of the customary bottle of champagne or wine—because the family was strict about alcohol.

“Old-time sailors might have seen that as a bad luck omen,” writes the historical society.

Even today, cruise lines and shipping companies continue to break a bottle of champagne or wine against the hull of new ships to ensure safe passage and good fortune. This tradition is thought to date back to the 18th century, though similar traditions are much older.

“The first recorded case concerned one of the princesses of Hanover, who threw the bottle with more energy than accuracy, missing the ship entirely, and injuring one of the spectators, who put in a claim for damages against the Admiralty,” according to Royal Museums Greenwich . “From about 1810, it was customary for a lady to be asked to perform the ceremony.”

When it set sail, the Adella Shores encountered a fair share of trouble. Before its disappearance in 1909, the vessel sank twice in shallow waters. Each time, crews brought the ship to the surface and put it back into service, according to the historical society.

The vessel met its fate while transporting a load of salt across Lake Superior from Ludington, Michigan, to Duluth, Minnesota, according to Bowling Green State University’s  Historical Collections of the Great Lakes . After departing on April 29, 1909, the Adella Shores trailed behind the Daniel J. Morrell , a much larger steel steamship, as it carved a trail in the thick ice covering the lake.

When the ships reached Whitefish Point—a peninsula that juts out into Lake Superior from the northeast corner of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—the Adella Shores was two miles behind the Daniel J. Morrell . The distance made the Adella Shores invisible to the crew aboard the larger vessel. Battling a fierce northeast gale, the Daniel J. Morrell plowed ahead, but the smaller ship vanished.

“Some debris was found, but no bodies,” per the historical society. “Captain Millen of the Morrell thinks the smaller Shores might have struck a large ice flow, puncturing her hull and quickly sinking.”

In shipwreck terms, the Adella Shores was categorized as a vessel that “went missing.” This umbrella phrase describes ships that set sail as planned but were never seen again. These vessels disappear with no survivors and no witnesses.

Now that the Adella Shores has been found, it’s no longer a member of the “went missing” club, says Fred Stonehouse, a maritime historian and the author of Went Missing: Unsolved Great Lakes Shipwreck Mysteries , in the statement.

“She still tells a very poignant and fascinating story,” he adds.

Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Sarah Kuta | READ MORE

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.

California boat captain gets 4-year prison term for fire deaths of 34 people

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles Editing by Chris Reese, Leslie Adler and Diane Craft

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

World Chevron

Jordan's King Abdullah presses Biden to avert Israel offensive in Rafah

Jordan's King Abdullah told U.S. President Joe Biden in a private meeting on Monday that an Israeli offensive in Rafah would lead to a "new massacre" of Palestinian civilians and urged the international community to take urgent action.

An Australian woman on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to the murder of three elderly people who died after allegedly consuming a lunch she prepared which contained poisonous mushrooms.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Prosecutors release dossier detailing how Costa Concordia victims died

The youngest victim of the Costa Concordia sinking died shortly after being told there was no space for her or her father in a lifeboat, Italian prosecutors have said.

Five-year-old Dayana Arlotti and her father Williams Arlotti were two of the 32 people who lost their lives when the cruise liner crashed into rocks off the island of Giglio in January last year.

In a 60-page dossier detailing how the victims died, prosecutors in the Italian town of Grosseto called for the captain of the Concordia, Francesco Schettino , to face trial on charges of manslaughter and abandoning ship.

They documented how Dayana and her father had tried and failed to find seats in a lifeboat on the port side of deck number four, and had been directed by staff to the starboard side instead. On the way over, though, Dayana fell into a flooded area and drowned.

Giuseppe Girolamo, a musician who had been working on the ship, gave up his seat in a lifeboat for someone else, only to die himself when he fell into the water.

Maria D'Introno, another passenger, did manage to find a place on a lifeboat but had to go back on board when it failed to launch, said prosecutors. She subsequently died when she jumped from the boat; the report said that, while she was still wearing a life jacket, she was unable to swim.

The court documents also listed 157 people – passengers and crew – who are have suffered from physical or psychological damage as a result of the disaster. They included Mandy and John Rodford, from Rochester in Kent, who were celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary on the cruise ship. They are both listed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

An investigating judge is expected to announce within weeks that 52-year-old Schettino and several other people, including representatives of Costa Crociere, the company that owned the Concordia, should stand trial.

• Costa Concordia
• Francesco Schettino
• Water transport

More on this story

Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino returns to sunken cruise ship

Costa Concordia could end up in UK as ports bid for wreckage

Diver dies during work on shipwrecked Costa Concordia in Italy

Costa Concordia captain lapsed into indecision at crisis point, court hears

Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino lies low amid lifting operation

Costa Concordia trial hears details of victims' deaths

Costa Concordia captain's pre-trial hearing starts – video

Most viewed.

California boat captain gets 4-year prison term for fire deaths of 34 people

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The captain of a dive boat that caught fire and sank off the California coast in 2019, killing 34 people in one of the state's deadliest maritime disasters, was sentenced on Thursday to four years in prison for his conviction on a federal charge of seaman's manslaughter.

Jerry Boylan, 70, was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury in November on a single felony count of "misconduct or neglect of a ship officer" under a federal homicide statute dating from steamboat accidents of the early 1800s.

Federal prosecutors had sought the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, according to Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

Defense lawyers, citing Boylan's age and health issues, had requested he be sentenced to five years on probation, including three years of home confinement.

Boylan, who had remained free on $75,000 bond following his 10-day trial, was ordered on Friday to surrender in July to begin serving his 48-month prison term.

In a brief statement read aloud in court by his attorney before the judge imposed sentence, Boylan said: "It was my goal to bring everyone home safely -- and I failed," according to the Los Angeles City News Service account of the hearing.

Boylan was captain of the 75-foot dive boat Conception when the vessel went up in flames in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, 2019, while anchored in Platt's Harbor near Santa Cruz Island, off the Santa Barbara coast, during a recreational scuba trip.

All 33 passengers and one crew member died in the Labor Day weekend blaze. They had been sleeping in a bunk room below deck when the fire began.

Media have called the blaze the most lethal modern maritime accident on record in California.

The five surviving crew members, including Boylan, had been above deck in berths behind the wheelhouse and escaped by leaping overboard as the burning vessel sank in the Pacific. They told investigators that flames coming from the passenger quarters were too intense to save anyone trapped below.

But the jury unanimously agreed with prosecutors that Boylan, as charged in the indictment, acted with "reckless disregard for human life by engaging in misconduct, gross negligence, and inattention to his duties".

Among lapses cited by prosecutors, Boylan neglected to maintain a night watch or roving patrol as required, failed to conduct sufficient fire drills and crew emergency training and left the vessel without attempting to fight the blaze or rescue passengers, even though he was unhurt.

Prosecutors said he was the first to abandon ship and did so without using the boat's public address system to warn passengers and crew about the fire.

Defense attorneys cast blame on the vessel's owner for not insisting on night patrols or fire training by his fleet's captains or crews.

Boylan's lawyers argued that the flames quickly closed in on their client, and that he remained on the boat long enough to broadcast a distress call to the U.S. Coast Guard and only jumped overboard when he was certain he would not survive otherwise.

While federal investigators failed to determine precisely what triggered the blaze, they found it began toward the rear of the main deck where passengers had plugged cellphones and other devices into lithium ion battery chargers.

Following the disaster, the Coast Guard issued a safety bulletin urging limits on such batteries and chargers aboard passenger vessels.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los AngelesEditing by Chris Reese, Leslie Adler and Diane Craft)