A year after cruise ship disaster, local survivors still struggle
»Play Video
SEATTLE - One year ago 32 souls were lost when the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian coast. Among the survivors were two women from our region who wish the night was one they could forget.
Karen Kois and Lynn Kaellin were on the Costa Concordia when it ran aground.
"It's been a hard year," says Karen. "We're hoping just to be able to put it behind us and move on. We certainly don't want to dwell on it."
" I live it every day," she adds. "I live that moment that I made the decision that I wasn't going to leave a voicemail for my family. I didn't want them to lose me that way."
The women were separated in the scramble to safety - and still have trouble sleeping. They say they're dealing with symptoms of post traumatic stress.
"I have a real hard time with water - like if I see ship out in the water I don't want to look at it. It's still haunting me," says Lynn.
Sunday, on the anniversary of the wreck, many survivors returned to the wreckage of the Concordia to place wreaths for each of the 32 victims.
The captain of the ship is charged with abandoning ship and manslaughter. If he goes to trial and is found guilty, he could spent 20 years in prison.
Newly released infrared video shows the frantic and chaotic rescue operation the night the ship ran aground.
"No one had any directions at all, and we were packed," says Lynn.
The video shows people scrambling desperately - trying to get off the ship.
"The whole thing was just very rude," says Lynn. "I don't think anyone had any compassion or caring for us. We were like cattle. I asked a couple of crew members if I could have a bottle of water, and he goes, 'Nope, it's for the crew.'"
The women have hired an attorney and are exploring their legal options. As they deal with their haunting past - they also remember to look to the future.
"How many people - when you know you're going to die, don't die - and can really realize what an amazing life you do have," says Lynn.
Karen Kois and Lynn Kaellin were on the Costa Concordia when it ran aground.
"It's been a hard year," says Karen. "We're hoping just to be able to put it behind us and move on. We certainly don't want to dwell on it."
" I live it every day," she adds. "I live that moment that I made the decision that I wasn't going to leave a voicemail for my family. I didn't want them to lose me that way."
The women were separated in the scramble to safety - and still have trouble sleeping. They say they're dealing with symptoms of post traumatic stress.
"I have a real hard time with water - like if I see ship out in the water I don't want to look at it. It's still haunting me," says Lynn.
Sunday, on the anniversary of the wreck, many survivors returned to the wreckage of the Concordia to place wreaths for each of the 32 victims.
The captain of the ship is charged with abandoning ship and manslaughter. If he goes to trial and is found guilty, he could spent 20 years in prison.
Newly released infrared video shows the frantic and chaotic rescue operation the night the ship ran aground.
"No one had any directions at all, and we were packed," says Lynn.
The video shows people scrambling desperately - trying to get off the ship.
"The whole thing was just very rude," says Lynn. "I don't think anyone had any compassion or caring for us. We were like cattle. I asked a couple of crew members if I could have a bottle of water, and he goes, 'Nope, it's for the crew.'"
The women have hired an attorney and are exploring their legal options. As they deal with their haunting past - they also remember to look to the future.
"How many people - when you know you're going to die, don't die - and can really realize what an amazing life you do have," says Lynn.
I can understand filing a lawsuit if they saw someone die. I doubt many people actually observed anyone passing away. From the stories most of the people that did perish were trapped in places onboard and most likely alone. The cruise line already offered compensation to the survivors of $14,500.00 per passenger in addition to refunding the original cost of the cruise, and reimbursing the costs associated with getting home after the tragedy.
Â
Unless you had a family or close friend that you were sailing with die on that sailing, take the compensation and move on with your life. Yes it sucks, yes it was tragic. Life moves on and you now have a story very few people will be able to top about travel experiences.
Regarding all of the comments, pro and con, about these women considering legal action: Sometimes lawsuits are nothing but a brazen money grab but SOMETIMES, they are about forcing a company to take a financial hit in order to get them to change the way that they do business. Many of the families who have suffered tragedy at the hands of cruise companies are simply trying to make the public at large aware of the dangers and the legal tricks that are used to escape responsibility.Â
Â
If the truth about the cruise industry were widely known, their sales would plummet and they would have to make improvements in order to regain customers. A very public airing of the details, such as would happen in a lawsuit, is one way that families try to sound the alarm.Â
Â
As I said before, I wish these women well and I wish that more people would wake up to the fact that it's only "The Love Boat" until something goes wrong.....then, it's every man for him/herself!
America has more lawyers than the rest of the world combined. Wouldn't want them to be on the unemployment lines would you. LOL
exploring legal options + news story = prep for the lawsuit. Â They survived. People have been through much worse, and moved on. Why sue for money? What will that do for you? Â
My sympathies. I'm sure it was traumatic. But get over it. You're both still alive and healthy. It's up to you if you let this be your defining moment.
When you clam post traumatic stress and then go lawyer up, you loose all credibility. Grow a pair. At least you didn't die.
 @Smashquail I think these people *deserve* to sue somebody.  The cruise company promised them safety, which they didn't deliver, and care, which they didn't deliver.  Oh yeah, big time, I'd sue too, if I was in their place..  You're telling me, if you saw 32 people die, it would be no big deal?  And BTW - check out m-w.com and learn the difference between "loose" and "lose".
 @magic_eye  @Smashquail Why? Why do people deserve money if something bad happens??  If someone sees their friend struck by lightning, do they sue God? Only in America.. where we think that throwing money at everything solves the problem. it's like the great disaster lottery.  $$$$  Tragedies are terrible, but nothing a giant home, some SUVs, and a 1 million in bank, won't fix.Â
 @DT  @Smashquail If someone promises me something, and I've paid for it, and they don't deliver, or *harm* me in the process, yes, I deserve to be compensated in some way.  If I have to sue to get it, so be it.  I'm not saying some of the huge settlements we see are justified, but some kind of compensation is deserved.
They need to spend their money on a psychologist for PTSD treatment instead of running to a lawyer for a lawsuit.
 @jowsuf When you have that kind of lawsuit, you do not pay the lawyer up front. They likely haven't spent ANY money on a lawyer at all and never will have to unless they get a settlement. Then the lawyer(s?) get 1/3 to 1/2.
 @Commenter87643 What I'm saying is, vengeance shouldn't be their first priority, as obviously they're suffering a great deal over what happened. They need to worry about their health first. No lawsuit will make them feel better about what happened.
 @jennieb   @Commenter87643 Those are totally backwards priorities and don't provide solace to the suffering like people think. Money or revenge doesn't fix your PTSD. The world doesn't work that way. We just want it to.
@jowsuf @Commenter87643 money is a great comfort. and for many so is revenge for wrongs both perceived and well documented . . . and a lawsuit provides both.
How is the whole "put it behind us and move on" thing going for you?
 @Insomniac Dreams Have you ever lived through a life-changing event?  I have.  In my case, I've seen the death of a loved one, not expected to die.  You can never put it completely behind you.  Eventually, you pick up the pieces of your life and you find ways to cope, but you can't just shrug it off.  From your comment, it's like you'd say to a Titanic survivor - "Hey you lived through it, what's the big deal?"  Do you really think you could do that if you were in their place?
My grandmother was sickened on a cruise ship on the by cross contamination. She ate a shrimp salad and that was contaminated by e-coli, the cruise lines even admitted that someone probably didnât wash their hands in between handling meat. She went into renal failure on that cruise ship, was airlifted off the cruise ship where they "forgotâ Â to put sunglasses on her which caused her to slip into a coma. Yes.. Some complication with renal failure and exposure to sunlight. She was eventually transferred back to a Washington state hospital where she was on dialysis until she died a horrible death a year later.
The details were out there in the open and the cruise lines admitted to all of this. But my family couldnât sue the cruise lines because they were in international waters, somehow our laws didnt apply.
Â
We didnât even get an apology or any sympathy from the cruise lines. I lost my grandmother due to their negligence and we couldnât get an âI am sorryâ from them so good luck with the whole suing that cruise lines.
Â
I will NEVER EVER step foot on a cruise ship!
 @SchönLicht I'm sorry too. And the reason you won't get any kind of an apology is because to do that would be to admit guilt. Years ago, I knew of a guilty party that actually sent flowers to the funeral of someone's death she caused. That action caused gasps among people that 'know that's not done." The person that died was a friend of mine and even so, I thought that lady had a lot of class and a lot of guts to not only admit her part but to send flowers and sincere, heartfelt sympathy in spite of being advised by many not to do 'such a thing'!
 @SchönLicht My sympathies on your loss.  Check out this organization- http://www.internationalcruisevictims.org/
Stories such as your grandmothers are all too common, I am afraid, and until people start demanding accountability and changes in the laws, they will continue to happen.Â
As you âlook to the futureâ be careful what you obligate yourselves to in the way of attorney fees. Those millions you are looking for will most likely not be there, and what there is will end up in the attorneys pockets. This is likely not going to be the âpot at the end of your rainbowâ, in spite of what the attorney promises. Â
I have prayer and sympathy for the victims but not sure if others read this and kind of think they are letting this to a little too far for themselves. To clarify..
Gosh. Where does one say... Toughen up a tad now. C'mon now.
I hope these 2 women are in counseling with someone who specializes in PTSD. Â It is very real. As for the legal options, I hope it works out for them. Â I am not a sue-happy person, I've never sued anyone & think that should be an absolute last resort reserved for extraordinary situations. Â This situation, though, seems like one of those--it is one of such obvious reckless disregard by the captain (& saving his own hide no matter what the cost) & such negligence, that the company should be made to pay. Â Whether "justice" will be served is another matter altogether........
"The women have hired an attorney and are exploring their legal options. As they deal with their haunting past - they also remember to look to the future."Â
Â
Good luck with that! Most people don't find out until it's too late that cruise lines have a very short statute of limitations. It is usually one year-rather than the standard three....one of those little details that their lawyers put in to the fine print. Then there is the Death on the High Seas Act, which is an antiquated piece of law that protects the owners of the vessel but not the passengers. Finally, there is the fact that almost all cruise ships, even the ones with headquarters in the US (Miami and Seattle), fly foreign flags to avoid US regulations regarding safety and liability issues.There are groups and organizations who have spent years trying to warn the public but no one listens until a tragedy hits them or their immediate family.
 @VikingMom I think you'll find that this falls under Italian law, since the whole thing happened in Italian waters and the Costa Concordia was registered in Genoa Italy. Since the captain is charged with abandoning ship and manslaughter, I doubt any fine print on the ticket is going to be enforceable... even in the insanity that is the Italian justice system.
High Seas refers to waters that are not part of the territorial sea or internal waters of a state.Â
Since these ladies neither died, nor were they on the high seas, the Death on the High Seas Act of 1920 hardly applies to them.