Ga. survivors recount cruise disaster

ATLANTA,None — Metro Atlanta residents who survived an Italian cruise ship disaster say they're still reliving the anguish from their journey. They are among many who say the ship captain failed in his response to the crash of the Costa Concordia.

"This man proved himself to be the biggest coward of the century," Keiko Guest told Channel 2's Manuel Bojorquez.

Guest and Justin Evans were among the 4,200 people on board the ship when the Costa Concordia ran aground last week. Rescuers are still searching for 21 people who are unaccounted for, and 11 people died.

"I woke up this morning sweating and not thinking about the ship, but the people who had to suffer and wait," Guest said.

She and Evans were at a magic show when the ship slammed into rocks off Italy's coast.

"It was a sudden stop. The dancers went flying off the stage," Evans said.

He said the crew announced there were minor technical difficulties, but within 15 minutes, it was obvious that was not the case.

"To stand up right, you actually had to stand at an angle," Justin Evans said.

He said chaos soon ensued and passengers struggled to get into life boats. He and Guest said because they're able-bodied, they maintained their composure and were able to get others and themselves into a lifeboat.

They cannot erase from their minds the panic, elderly or disabled passengers begging for help.

"There are people who literally had to wait to die because they couldn't get out of their rooms," Guest said. "They knew water's coming in. They waited to die."

She is haunted remembering parents looking for children.

"You could see them clutching with their dear lives and crying, and they could not abandon their families to flee to save their own lives," Guest said.

When she talks about ship Capt. Francesco Schettino, her grief becomes outrage. An audio recording shows he repeatedly refused to return to the ship when asked by an Italian coast guard. Schettino said he tripped into a lifeboat. He is under house arrest on suspicion of manslaughter.

"They need to actually take into consideration who is running these ships." Guest said.