"Leonardo Cherici, 34, from Civitavecchia, the very port from which Concordia set sail, was one of the first divers into the ship, smashing his way into the restaurant on deck four with an iron bar in what was initially a frantic hunt for survivors, but which turned into the sombre task of recovering bodies.
Those they recovered had to be carefully removed and taken to the surface in a delicate operation, as after days in the water any sharp movement could have led to damaged body parts breaking away in their hands.
Cherici was the first diver to find victims from the disaster – two elderly men who were both wearing life jackets.
‘They were next to each other by a muster station,’ he says.
‘And that’s what really hit me – they were so close to the lifeboats and so close to being saved. One of them was holding a woman’s handbag, which I later found out belonged to his wife.
‘The first thing we had to do was cut the life jackets off. If we don’t do that it’s like trying to carry a balloon underwater. You try not to get emotional, but it’s very difficult. We are not robots; we have feelings and emotions like everyone else.
When you see the victims wearing life jackets and so close to the lifeboats, you start asking yourself questions. Why didn’t they make it into a lifeboat? Why didn’t they jump into the water? You can only hope they were knocked out by the impact as the ship turned, otherwise if they were still alive they would have been in the dark and helpless, terrified as they were engulfed by a mountain of water.
‘That’s when you start to reflect on things,’ he adds.
‘These people were on a holiday and supposed to be enjoying themselves – they were all dressed very elegantly as if they were going to a party. The bodies I’ve recovered before from drownings have been in swimming costumes, not evening wear.’
‘The other problem we’re facing is that food and flesh are starting to rot down there and the water is getting very polluted.
'One of the guys told me that some of the water went into his mask and the stench was unbearable.
'That’s why after the last few dives we’ve had to disinfect the divers and the suits with sprays and detergents to make sure they’re not exposing themselves to any bacteriological risks. They’re being washed in units that are designed for germ warfare.’"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2094871/Costa-Concordia-Grim-quest-bodies-board-capsized-cruise-ship.html?ITO=1490
Show Posts
