The saga of the ill-fated Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia took a bizarre new twist as its captain, Francesco Schettino, says he FELL into a lifeboat and did not abandon ship.
The captain claims he tripped on deck and tumbled overboard, only to wind up in a lifeboat during a panicky passenger escape, and did not abandon the vessel as accused.
The captain's newly disclosed account, reported by the newspaper La Repubblica, came as divers were forced to suspend rescue efforts around the half-submerged vessel.
Not helping his cause? An audio recording of officials ordering him to get back on:
The ship's instability, coupled with unideal forecasts of stormy winds off the Tuscany coast, raised fears the hull could slide into deeper water and sink for good.
Italy's environment minister, Corrado Clini, said structural damage to portions of the ship could cause "potentially dangerous consequences for the environment."
The Italian authorities revised the missing figure Wednesday to 26. The official death toll still stands at 11, and Francesco Schettino has plenty of explaining to do.
He reiterated that he did not plan to leave the ship as it tilted toward the water.
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