Gnu-

It may have been his girlfriend.

Evidently more video will be released today. Here's a summary of what I've just harvested about the video:

Italy's TG5 News Service has uncovered video from the deck of the Costa Concordia immediately following the ship's running aground off the coast of Giglio, Italy. They have released approximagely half of the 9-minute video, which shows Captain Francesco Schettino relaxed as the crew struggles to analyze the problem.

Britain's Telegraph has taken the footage and closed captioned it. On it, you see the bridge illuminated by only the emergency lights after the power on the ship had failed.

According to the Telegraph's translation, a voice is heard to say,"Here everything is going to hell.. There is a hole, I believe...so water is coming in."

A man believed to be Captain Francesco Schettino then replies: "I've spoken to the control room and they say with two compartments flooded we should survive, there is no problem."

He continues: "Let's wait a bit more, so we make leeway toward more shallow waters. Then we can drop the anchor...at worst we can sit on the seabed. We shall see."

It is several minutes more before the abandon ship order is given, and this after ship's officers are heard urging the captain to give the order, saying that "passengers are getting on lifeboats spontaneously".

The abandon ship order is given at 10:32 PM, and lifeboats aren't lowered until nearly 25 minutes later.

TG5 has not said who shot the video, although an Italian Daily is speculating that it might have been Moldovan dancer Domnica Cemortan, who has been linked to Captain Schettino.
They also said they'll release the second part of the video today.

Charley Noble