Costa Concordia Anniversary

The Costa Concordia on Italy's Giglio island on Saturday.
Maurizio Brambatti / European Pressphoto Agency (January 12, 2013)

Still Submerged ...
One Year Later

Off the coast of Giglio Island in Italy lies the submerged hull of Costa Concordia.  It is a stark reminder of the events of that fateful night in mid January when Captain Francesco Schettino did a sail-by as he had done many times before.  This time, there would be human error and other factors contributing to the disaster.

32 lives were lost and countless lives altered in a matter of a few hours.   The ship, crew, and others are now the subject of investigation and court proceedings as well as a $400M salvage operation that is behind schedule.   It appears that the wreckage won't be removed completely until this Summer.

Reliving the Tragedy

As the anniversary approaches, the media has been interviewing survivors getting their thoughts about the events of that January night.  For some, it brings tears once again as they remember lost family and friends or perhaps the ordeal that they themselves went through.

Memorial Service      
           

(More CNN Coverage of Anniversary)

Meanwhile, as Giglio prepared for a religious service Sunday to mark the anniversary, including the release of 32 airborne lanterns to mourn the dead, Costa Crociere has told survivors among the 4,200 passengers and crew to avoid the island out of respect for those who died. The company says that there would not be enough space on the island to accommodate all the survivors of the wreck.

We're sure that the company meant well by making those remarks, but it hasn't sat well with the families who are trying to deal with the tragedy one year later.

We hope that the families and friends are able to find some comfort on this one year anniversary.   Please remember the survivors and those that died in your thoughts and prayers today.

Anchor Blog Article:  Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident