The captain who left his ship as it capsized off Giglio

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Francesco Schettino was the commander of the Costa Concordia when it struck an underwater rock on 13 January 2012. While the vessel capsized off the Italian island of Giglio, Schettino was found onshore, leading to a massive public outcry and a high-profile trial for manslaughter and abandoning ship.

On 13 January 2012, the Costa Concordia struck a well-charted underwater rock while attempting a sail-by salute off the island of Giglio. The maneuver, which Schettino claimed was intended to honor local mariners and provide passengers with a better view, deviated from the company's authorized route. The collision caused the ship to partially capsize and list to starboard, resulting in the deaths of 32 passengers and crew members. The ship had previously suffered bow damage in Palermo during high winds in 2008. This specific incident caused no injuries and was repaired shortly after.

The disaster sparked intense scrutiny of Schettino's conduct. While he claimed he only left the vessel after it rolled and argued he accidentally ended up in a lifeboat, a local police officer observed him onshore with dry clothes. This discrepancy, alongside a recorded exchange with Coast Guard commander Gregorio de Falco—who famously ordered him to return to the ship—contributed to Schettino being nicknamed 'Captain Coward' by international media. The captain had performed similar sail-by manoeuvres at Giglio in the past. Media reports also suggested he was distracted by a dancer during the collision.

A sixteen-year prison term was handed to Schettino in 2015 for various offences, such as manslaughter and abandoning his vessel. Although his defense argued he was a scapegoat for systemic failures in ship design and safety management, the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation confirmed his conviction in 2017. He began serving his sentence in Rome's Rebibbia prison that year. Schettino's legal team argued that the helmsman and shore-side management also shared responsibility. He had previously published a book defending his heroic conduct during the catastrophe.

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