Ten Years On: Remembering the Costa Concordia Shipwreck
A Survivor's Story
Ten years ago, Maria Grazia Trecarichi was one of the survivors of the tragic shipwreck of the Costa Concordia, a luxury cruise liner that capsized off the coast of Italy.
The Costa Concordia disaster, which occurred on January 13, 2012, resulted in the deaths of 32 passengers and crew members. Trecarichi, who was 50 years old at the time, was one of the 4,200 passengers and crew onboard when the ship struck a reef and began to sink.
In an interview with the BBC, Trecarichi recalled the terror and confusion of that fateful night. "I remember feeling the ship shaking, and then there was a loud crash," she said. "I looked out my window and saw water pouring into the cabin. I knew I had to get out."
Trecarichi and her husband abandoned their belongings and made their way to the evacuation point. She said that the crew was "panicking" and that there was a lack of clear direction.
As the ship continued to sink, Trecarichi and her husband climbed up the side of the vessel and into a lifeboat. They were eventually rescued by a nearby cargo ship.
Trecarichi said that the Costa Concordia disaster has left her with a lasting fear of the sea. "I still get anxious when I see a cruise ship," she said. "But I'm grateful to be alive."
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