SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

In January 2012, the cruise ship, Costa Concordia, ran aground spilling 3200 passengers and 1,000 crew members into the dark waters of the Mediterranean. Thirty-two people died and many more suffered physical and emotional scars that are still healing. Andrea and Laurence Davis, South African natives and Canadian citizens were unable to find space in a lifeboat and along with others, had to swim for their lives as the 2000 foot long ship was rolling over on top of them. Filled with raw emotion, the chaotic events of that night are told through Andrea’s eyes from the overturning dining room, to the open deck full of panic and confusion, the decision to jump into the black waters and swim to a rocky shore, and the painful hike over coral rocks to safety. We witness the warm hospitality of the local Islanders who rescued, fed, and clothed the survivors and the waiting world who prayed for news of their safety. The incredible decision to return to the scene of the disaster only six months later and thank the people of Giglio, despite the challenges of language and customs, attests to the open-hearted courage of the Davis couple. Their hopes, fears, prayers, tears, and joy bring the reader on board and into troubled waters as we get an insider’s look at a maritime disaster that is still in the news.