A witness on the Costa Concordia cruise liner told an Italian court that Francesco Schettino did not "accidentally trip" and tumble into a lifeboat as his initial report said, but that he intentionally hopped into a safety vessel shortly after the crash.
One of the ship's officers, Stefano Iannelli, appeared in court in Grosseto, Tuscany on Monday, to testify that he'd seen Capt. Schettino jump into a rescue boat while the cruise ship capsized after crashing into a reef near Giglio Island off the Italian coast last year, resulting in the deaths of 32 passengers.
"We found a lifeboat. I jumped on, Schettino had jumped on just before me," Iannelli, a trainee officer, told the court.
The Captain is currently on trial for abandoning ship, causing a maritime calamity, and multiple counts of manslaughter, the Telegraph reported.
"We had formed a human chain, so as not to slip," Iannelli said while describing how he banded together with other officials to help shuttle the panicked passengers down the length of the 950 foot-long ship.
"I was part of the Tango India support team and we helped at least five injured people," he testified. "When I could no longer see any passengers, I went with Schettino," along with four others, he stated.
"I jumped on the roof [of the lifeboat], Schettino had jumped on before me. As soon as the lifeboat set off, the ship rolled over and the deck we had been on sank underwater," Iannelli continued. "On our way to shore we picked up passengers in the water."
Capt. Schettino's lover appeared in court in October - a Moldovan dancer named Domnia Cemortan - who said that the skipper told her to "save herself" once the ship hit the rocks. She claimed she stopped to help other passengers flee the cruise liner before climbing into a lifeboat that escorted her to safety.
The captain could receive up to 20 years in prison if he's found guilty.
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