Costa Concordia aground near Giglio
There were scenes of panic as the Costa Concordia hit a sandbar on the evening of Friday 13th January near the island of Giglio and listed about 20 degrees. People reached land by lifeboats but some swam ashore. Rescue teams went from cabin to cabin, searching for survivors.
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Created on 06 January 2012
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Two dads and their 11-year-old sons spent 45 minutes bobbing in the Pacific Ocean clinging to a beer cooler before they were rescued safely.
Scott Smiles, 43, and son Ryan and Rick Matthews, 46 and son Riley had set off at dawn Thursday from Botany Bay in Sydney, Australia in a 41-foot cruiser on a fishing trip.
About eight kilometres out, with the boys asleep below deck, Smiles spotted smoke coming from the engine room. “I grabbed the EPIRB (emergency beacon), grabbed my wallet, ran out.
By that time Rick had lifejackets on the boys. I grabbed the Esky (beer cooler), jumped off the back deck,” Smiles said. His son had tried to answer reporters’ questions but was overcome with emotion and hugged his father.
A Westpac Life Saver Rescue helicopter found them and dropped a life raft. As they climbed in, a rescue ship roared up to take them to safety. “These beacons give a GPS location within metres and we are able to get to people very quickly,” said Marine Unit Supt. Mark Hutchings of New South Wales police. “Had he not done that I can almost guarantee you we’d still be searching for them.”
Rescue crews and police officials praised Smiles for his quick thinking, and for using the beacon.
Matthews was treated in hospital for burns on his leg from leaking fuel and released.
The fire was not thought to be suspicious, and officers said they would not be recovering the boat.
