Workers dismantling Concordia cruise ship find body of last missing crew member

The Associated Press
November 3, 2014 at 7:03PM
FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2012 file photo the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground in the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy.
FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2012 file photo the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground in the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy. (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

MILAN — The body of an Indian waiter who was the last missing victim of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia cruise liner has been found by crews dismantling the vessel, authorities said Monday.

The body was discovered by workers clearing debris from the ship in a passenger's cabin on the eighth deck, said Carabinieri commander Capt. Massimo Pittaluga. He said the victim was wearing a shirt that contained an identification card for missing crew member Russel Rebello.

In a Facebook message, Rebello's brother, Kevin Rebello, confirmed the discovery of his brother's remains, thanking "all those who prayed and believed that one day he would be found."

He said a DNA test would be performed before putting his brother to rest "with honor," adding simply: "India, we are coming."

The Concordia capsized after hitting rocks near a Tuscan island in January 2012, killing 32 people. The ship's captain is being tried for manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning the ship.

The Concordia was transferred to Genoa this summer, where it is being dismantled and scrapped.

Workers on a boat sail past the Costa Concordia ship after it was lifted upright, on the Tuscan Island of Giglio, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013.
Workers on a boat sail past the Costa Concordia ship after it was lifted upright, on the Tuscan Island of Giglio, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013. (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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