In one of the greatest engineering feats in recent memory, the enormous Costa Concordia cruise liner was raised off the rocks where it capsized more than eight months ago. Since that time, the massive ship was a source of national shame for the Italians, as the great vessel wallowed in the shallow water near Giglio Island. The crash killed 32 passengers and made globe news when it occurred on January 13th, 2012.
Headed by South African chief salvage master Nick Sloane, the righting of the enormous ship was considered by most to be a forlorn hope. The gigantic vessel’s weight was several times heavier than the U.S.S Titanic, even when it wasn’t filled with seawater. In fact, the first recovery missions failed because even when 6,000 ton of force was applied, the stranded ship would not budge.
But rather than throwing in the proverbial towel, the recovery crew increased the force to 6,200 tons, which moved the ship, and then to 6,800 tons, which pulled it off the rocks. As all observers indicated, these were tense moments that lasted for nearly an entire day. In the end, the injured vessel was righted and will now be towed away and scrapped.