Shraman Mitra
Passengers who boarded the Costa Concordia in January 2012 believed they were in for a relaxing and luxurious 7-day cruise around the Mediterranean Sea. However, shortly into the voyage on January 13, 2012, the ship deviated from the planned route and struck a rock formation on the ocean bed, causing it to sink. Naturally, the sudden and dreadful tragedy terrorized the people on board, who tried their best to get to safety. ‘Dateline: ESCAPE: The Wreck of the Costa Concordia’ chronicles the horrific incident and even conductions one on one interviews with six of the survivors.
Emily Lau is Making Music Now
Emily Lau boarded the Costa Concordia for a honeymoon trip with her husband, Benji Smith. However, once tragedy struck, she realized the only way to escape the ship was to climb down using rope ladders to the lifeboats waiting below. In fact, they had to cling to the rope for several hours before rescue, but Emily was even more disheartened when the Italian authorities didn’t do much to help them even after they escaped the wreck.
While Emily currently resides with her husband, Benji, in Portland, Oregon, we are happy to report that the couple are proud parents to three wonderful children. Moreover, readers will be interested to know that Emily, who is a renowned singer, composer, and performance artist, also took inspiration from the shipwreck and released an album of original compositions called ‘Isle of Lucidity.’ It is remarkable to witness Emily lead a happy life, and we wish her the best for the future.
Benji Smith is Training Writers in Oregon Today
Benji and his wife, Emily Lau, were celebrating their honeymoon on the Costa Concordia when the ship hit a bedrock and began sinking. Interestingly, Benji knew that the most important thing was to make Emily feel calm, and he did so by promising he would be there with her even if they both had to perish. Nevertheless, the couple eventually managed to get hold of rope ladders and had to hang on for several hours before they were rescued.
At present, Benji is still married to Emily, and the couple resides with their two dogs and three children in Portland, Oregon. Moreover, while he earns a living as a computer scientist and a computational linguist, he even describes himself as an author, artist, and entrepreneur. We are sorry to report that the Costa Concordia crash left a deep imprint on the couple’s minds, as they had to undertake numerous PTSD therapy sessions. Yet, Benji eventually decided to take inspiration from the wreck and ended up authoring the book ‘Abandoned Ship,’ which was published in 2023. On top of it, he owns and operates his company, Shaxpir, through which he nurtures storytellers and trains aspiring writers.
Jay Garcia is Embracing Life Post-Trauma in Miami Beach
Jay Garcia was holidaying with his girlfriend, Connie Baron, on the Costa Concordia when the ship started sinking on January 13, 2012. Although Jay and his girlfriend were lucky enough to grab lifevests and get themselves on a lifeboat, they were alarmed at how the crew completely mismanaged the situation. Still, after getting themselves off the boat, they somehow reached the coast and arrived back in Florida about three days after the incident.
While Jay still appears to reside with Connie in Miami Beach, Florida, the incident has remained deeply ingrained in their minds. While on the show, he mentioned that he still has nightmares about the tragedy, and it took him multiple therapy sessions to get his life back on track. However, despite the dark shadows of his past, he tries to live every day to the fullest.
Rose Metcalf is Coaching and Writing in Los Angeles
A dancer on the Costa Concordia, Rose Metcalf was in charge of herding several crew members and passengers to the lifeboats since she was one of the few English speakers on board. Once the ship began sinking, Rose mentioned how she helped almost 400 people reach the lifeboats but eventually found herself stuck in the front of the vessel with four other crew members. However, instead of giving herself up to fate, Rose fought against the odds and repaired the circuit of her emergency torch with an earring. She also sent a message to her father from one of the crew’s cellphones, which ultimately prompted the Italian authorities to rescue them on a helicopter.
Later, Rose mentioned that she and the others were stuck on the sinking ship for six hours before the rescue. In 2013, about a year after the incident, she moved to the United States and currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with her partner, who is an actor. On the other hand, Rose herself earns a living as a health and life coach, as she is determined to help young women become the best versions of themselves. Besides, a 2021 report mentioned that she was collecting Costa Concordia survivor stories as she wanted to publish a book on the incident.
Kathy Ledtke is Still Recovering From the Traumatic Experience
Kathy Ledtke and her husband, Dr. Steven Ledtke, boarded the Costa Concordia for a relaxing vacation but were left terrified when tragedy struck. Kathy later mentioned that while the staff initially lied about the situation, the whole rescue was completely unorganized. Still, the couple somehow made their way over to a lifeboat, which was filled up to almost twice its capacity.
In the years following the tragedy, Kathy and Steven continued having nightmares about the ordeal and needed quite a bit of therapy in order to come to terms with the past. On top of it, Kathy even quit her nursing job as an immediate reaction to the incident and claimed that she still has a few unresolved issues. While it seems like Kathy and Steven currently reside together in Fort Gratiot, Michigan, the couple suffered another setback in March of 2022 when their summer home on Mackinac Island caught fire and burned to the ground.
Dr. Steven Ledtke is Practicing Medicine in Fort Gratiot Today
When Dr. Steven Ledtke felt the Costa Concordia lurch on January 13, 2012, he immediately knew that he and his wife, Kathy, had to find a way off the boat. Even though the two eventually made their way to a lifeboat and managed to escape the wreck, Steven later mentioned how the staff refused to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and mismanaged the rescue.
At present, Dr. Steven Ledtke and his wife, Kathy, are proud parents and reside together in Fort Gratiot, Michigan. Moreover, while he earns a living as a general physician and a Family Medicine Specialist, the family experienced another tragedy in March 2022 when their summer home on Mackinac Island was destroyed in a fire. Still, Steven and Kathy continue to hold onto each other, and we wish them the best for the years to come.
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