The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard, joined by the National Transportation Safety Board, will be part of an Italian-led marine casualty investigation into the January 2012 grounding and partial sinking of the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy.
The incident left 32 people dead, including two Americans. Evidence, timeline, analysis, conclusion(s), recommendations and a draft report are to be formalized over the next few months of the investigation.
The Coast Guard places the highest priority on the safety of passenger vessels, including those domestic and foreign vessels that embark passengers in the United States and embark U.S. passengers world-wide, ensuring they are in compliance with applicable international and domestic safety standards.
The Coast Guard routinely participates in casualty investigations, even those taking place overseas, and leads efforts at the International Maritime Organization to improve maritime safety, security and environmental protection standards.
Coast Guard and NTSB participation in the Costa Concordia marine casualty investigation is consistent with generally accepted international marine casualty investigation practices and with Coast Guard statutory authority in 46 U.S.C. 6101(g) and 6301.
