(dailynewyorknews) – The chaos and lack of communication are the common denominators between the stories of American survivors of the sinking of the Costa Concordia, and to come ashore was only the beginning of a long ordeal for passengers trying to return to their homes.
Melissa Goduti, of Wallingford, Connecticut, came aboard about three hours before it ran aground on Friday night, killing at least 11 passengers.
“Suddenly, the ship tilted at an angle of 70 degrees and only began to fall, the dishes were down, the trash cans were down, everything was falling,” said CNN affiliate CTNow Goduti. “As the lights go out and everything was censored and then there was light again.”
Lynn Kaelin in Tacoma, Washington, told CNN affiliate KCPQ was “like having the Titanic without the water flowing through.”
“I called my husband, not knowing if what I saw,” he said. “I thought we were going to die.”
No ads for a long time and Goduti and his mother saw no signs that the lifeboats.
Chaos, fear ruled cruise evacuation
“We were running around doing what the lifeboats were on the ground and the team repeated,” they are not needed, you are very good, everything is fine, you just play for a big wave, “said Goduti CTNow.
“Everything he said was a problem generator, a generator of problems and the boat floats along and you just need to stabilize,” he said.
Nancy Lofaro, New Rochelle, New York, said the crew tried to do everything possible, “but when asked they said no information was available. They just do not have the information they give us.” Lofaro estimates came the first announcement of 30 to 40 minutes after the ship grounded.
Goduti and his mother feel fortunate that they found a lifeboat.
“When our ship fell, fell. It was not a disappointment by any means easy, but at least we got in the water and were safe, which is much better than, unfortunately, some people,” he said.
Personal Rescue Coast debate about who Lofaro drive the boat, and do not seem to know what to do, he said.
Joan Fles of Duanesburg, New York, second that opinion, calling the crew “, inexperienced and untrained.”
In a letter to passengers, CEO of Costa Cruises, Pier Luigi Foschi disputes that assessment: “The crew of the Costa Concordia acted boldly and quickly in an extremely difficult and unsuccessful – despite incredibly difficult conditions – to evacuate more than 4,000 people as soon as possible: we are proud of our commitment and dedication to their safety. ”
He continues to emphasize staff training, safety procedures and regulations.
The survivors of the disaster scene say the land was so chaotic. Fles said the trip to rescue the Tuscan island of Giglio was the last time you saw the employees of Costa Cruises, until she and her husband and daughter hit a hotel in Rome on Saturday.
The Islanders came into force to help stranded travelers, and a local priest opened the church. Fles and his family stayed at the home of a local family overnight.
“The people of the island was wonderful,” Fles said.
Nancy and her husband Lofaro wandered on the shore, to find a church, a café and a small hotel with only carried away.
“There was no organization. There was nobody there and the staff was in shock, so we went. There were no announcements. We have seen people walking around with a megaphone Costa … do not use it,” Lofaro said.
Fles and his family had gathered at a ferry to the mainland in the morning after the wreck, “but we had no idea where we were.”
Medical triage, members of the Coast Guard, Red Cross and other volunteer organizations met with cruise passengers and took them to a local school where more services were provided locally. His daughter received a pair of shoes there because she was still wearing high heels the day before, Fles said.
The family then took a bus to Rome where they were deposited in the hotel.
“The Marriott had no idea we had. All these boat refugees in the territory of the door and people say,” Who are you? But we’ll take care of you, “Fles said.
There were two representatives of the Coast cruises hotel, “but every time I asked if they could do something for us, told us he had no authority,” he said.
The cruise line does not include food, hotel and plane tickets home, Fles said, although it is booked on a flight to Albany, Georgia, instead of Albany, New York – an error in the family discovered the Atlanta airport.
“Oh, my God, we were willing to lose at this time.”
Costa is “working day and night for all home as soon as possible,” said a spokesman for the U.S. banks Buck. More than 1100 employees Costa worked to help the passengers and crew on Friday night, Foschi said in his letter to passengers.
Before Fles and his family could make the return trip, they needed a new passport to replace those lost in the sinking ship.
The response of the U.S. Embassy was a big disappointment, Fles said.
“In addition to receiving temporary passports which we had no help. No food, no clothes, no money, no transportation. We were told to borrow money, take a taxi, go down.” A hotel bus took Americans and others at the embassy Fles said.
The State Department spokesman, Mrs. Victoria Nuland, said the agency organized the cruise line passengers have led Americans to a hotel in Rome and the Embassy of the documents. More than 100 emergency passports were issued to passengers stranded.
“We also provide all kinds of advice, contact telephone number for families, helping families to create funds for travel, passport photos always, warm clothes, there was even a couple of families who need layers,” said on Wednesday a briefing from the Department of State.
Fles and his family arrived home shortly after midnight Tuesday. He received a voice message Costa said the family would be reimbursed for the cruise and the loss of points on the boat, he said, but the message did not elaborate on how these amounts to be determined.
Costa did not give specific details of how the passengers will be compensated.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/18/travel/concordia-us-survivor-stories/index.html?hpt=us_c1
