Gregorio De Falco: "Hello.
Hello."
Francesco Schettino: "Good
evening, captain."
De Falco: "Hello, I'm de
Falco, from Livorno. I am speaking with the commander?"
Schettino: "I'm Commander
Schettino."
De Falco: "Listen
Schettino, there are people trapped aboard, you go with your lifeboat under the
prow of the ship on the port side and you go aboard the ship using the rope
ladder. You go aboard and you tell me how many people there are. Is it clear?
I'm recording this conversation, Commander Schettino."
Schettino: "So, I'll tell
you something..."
De Falco: "Speak
louder."
Schettino: "Now, I'm in
front of..."
De Falco: "Commander,
speak louder, take the microphone and speak loud. Is that clear?"
Schettino: "Commander,
right now the ship is skewed."
De Falco: "Understood.
Listen there are people going down from the prow using the rope ladder; you take
that rope ladder on the opposite side, you go aboard and you tell me the number
of people and what they have on board. Is that clear? You tell me whether there
are children, women or people needing assistance. And you tell me the number of
each of these categories. Is that clear? Schettino, maybe you saved yourself
from the sea, but I'll make you pay for sure. Go aboard."
Schettino: "Commander,
please?"
De Falco: "Please, now you
go aboard."
Schettino: "I am on the
life boat, under the ship, I haven't gone anywhere, I'm here."
De Falco: "What are you
doing, commander?"
Schettino: "I'm here to
coordinate rescues."
De Falco: "What are you
coordinating there? Go on board and coordinate rescues from on board. Do you
refuse?"
Schettino: "No, no I'm not
refusing."
De Falco: "You're refusing
to go aboard, commander, tell me why you're not going."
Schettino: "I'm not going
because there is another lifeboat stopped there."
De Falco: "Go aboard: it's
an order. You have no evaluation to make, you declared abandon ship, now I give
orders: go aboard. Is it clear?"
Schettino: "Commander I'm
going aboard."
De Falco: "Call me from
aboard, my rescuer is there at the prow of the ship. There are already dead
bodies, Schettino."
Schettino: "How many dead
bodies?"
De Falco: "I do not know.
One for sure. You have to tell me how many."
Schettino: "Do you realise
that it's dark here and we can't see a thing?"
De Falco: "And what, do
you want to go home, Schettino? It's dark, so you want to go home...? Go on the
prow of the ship, using the rope ladder and tell me what can be done, how many
people there are and what are their needs. Do it now."
Schettino: "Here there is
also the vice commander. I'm together with him."
De Falco: "Then go aboard
together. Together. What's his name?"
Schettino:
"Dimitri."
De Falco: "Dimitri what?
You and your vice go aboard. Now, is it clear?"
Schettino: "Commander, I
want to go aboard, but here there is the other lifeboat, there are other
rescuers who stopped. Now I called other rescuers."
De Falco: "You've been
telling me this for one hour. Go aboard. Go aboard. And you tell me right away
how many people there are."
Schettino: "Ok
commander."
De Falco: "Go,
quickly."
