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.