Cruise ship crew member recalls sea ordeal in Italy

Saturday, February 4, 2012

A BROWN wallet was the only thing left of Celso Ricaborda’s possessions, after he survived what he described as an unforgettable incident: the wreckage of the cruise ship Costa Concordia off Isola del Giglio, Tuscany, Italy on Jan. 13, Friday.

“I was not able to save my other belongings,” the 38-year-old cabin crew said in Cebuano.

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The tragedy killed 17 people and injured 64. There were also 16 reported missing persons. According to news accounts, there were 3,229 passengers. Out of 1,023 crew and personnel, there were over 290 Filipinos serving in the ship, Ricaborda said.

Before the shipwreck happened past 9 p.m., Ricaborda was busy tending to the passengers. Minutes later, he noticed the ship tilted on its side and trembled.

He advised passengers, who were mostly screaming, not to panic.

Then he went to the ship’s balcony and saw Costa Concordia running aground after hitting a reef. He noticed clear sky and peaceful weather.

The captain’s voice later blared on the speakers, declaring a general emergency. Ricaborda evacuated all the passengers from the cabins assigned to him.

When all the cabins were emptied, Ricaborda was not able to return to his cabin to save his belongings, such as clothes, a laptop and external hard drive, which contained several souvenir pictures.

He wore a life vest over his uniform and went to the ship’s mother station. When it was time to abandon ship, they boarded a life boat.

Before they headed toward Giglio, a crew member kept watching a picture of his son on his cell phone, hoping he will survive the ordeal, Ricaborda said.

They did.

Ricaborda said he was calm during the ordeal, which happened 100 years after the Titanic was sunk by a huge iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean.

He said he was just lucky on a day perceived by superstition as dangerous, Friday the 13th.

Last Thursday night, he met his close friends at a restobar in IT Park, Cebu City. While holding a miniature of Costa Concordia, he told his experience to Franconilo Vargaso, a ship captain; Mitchell Atacador, a chief mate; Kelly Secretario, a chief mate; and Allan Defensor, Sun.Star Cebu photojournalist.

The four were Ricaborda’s classmates at the University of Cebu, where he took up a marine transportation course.

Ricaborda, known as Esoy to his loved ones and friends, said the shipwreck will be forever etched in his memory.

Inside his wallet, he found his treasures: savings and photos of the Virgin Mary and his family.

He reunited with his wife and two sons, aged 11 and 5, in Barangay Tuyan, Naga City last Jan. 20. He is currently processing his documents before he can go abroad again.