Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea Reveals Survivors' Desperate Swim to Shore

A new Netflix documentary is shedding light on the Costa Concordia shipwreck that claimed the lives of 32 people in 2012. Here is a closer look at the story that this riveting documentary explores.

Netflix Documentary Explores Costa Concordia Shipwreck

The deadly Costa Concordia disaster is back in the spotlight. The Netflix documentary "Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea" is revisiting one of the most tragic shipping events in modern history. The Italian cruise ship hit rocks while sailing near Giglio Island on the night of January 13, 2012. The impact with the rocks tore a 53-meter gash in the ship's hull, flooding the engine room and cutting off power.

Thousands of passengers and crew were trapped as water quickly engulfed the ship. The majority of the 3,206 passengers and 1,023 crew members were able to abandon the sinking ship on lifeboats safely. However, several of the passengers made the courageous decision to attempt the 100-meter swim to shore in the cold water in the middle of the night.

Complicating the rescue effort is the fact that Captain Francesco Schettino did not activate the emergency alarm system for 48 minutes after the collision. The captain was later convicted of manslaughter and causing a maritime accident and abandoning the ship, and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. In addition to Schettino, five other workers were implicated in the incident that led to the deaths of 32 people.

Passengers Forced to Jump Into Icy and Black Water to Swim to Safety

The documentary is revealing new details about the people who made the difficult decision to try to swim to shore. Crew member Ian Fraser told the BBC that he realized his only option was to jump into the water. Fraser said that it was clear that they were running out of options when he found himself standing in ankle-deep water in the dark. Once the lights came back on, he realized that it was his window of opportunity to try to make it to shore.

Canadian couple Laurence and Andrea Davis were lucky to make it into a lifeboat in the initial chaos. However, this lifeboat began filling with water, forcing them to make the jump into the icy and black waters. The couple's son-in-law said that Laurence swam the backstroke so that he could keep an eye on the ship, fearing that it could capsize and fall on them.

Laurence detailed how terrifying it was to be left in a sinking lifeboat, knowing that there was a chance that the ship could crash down on them. The couple finally made it to land with only the clothes on their backs.

British resident Lisa Cameron Smith detailed how she noticed the sinking ship from her bedroom on Giglio Island. Smith said that she rushed to the shoreline with her husband and daughter to try to help the rescue effort. She described the horror of seeing the passengers jump into the ocean and barely making it to shore.

Smith told reporters,  "After a few minutes, people started jumping from the ship and came to the rocks — very wet and desperate. It was very difficult to get out of the water. It was very slippery, especially in shoes. We took our shoes off and started taking people out of the water. People were really in panic. We helped."

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