A Country Durham man who was on board the Costa Concordia has spoken about escaping from the stricken vessel. Ian Fraser, who worked as a singer on the cruise ship, described jumping into the freezing water after feeling all other options had run out.

Yes, following the Costa Concordia disaster in January 2012, several passengers and crew members did indeed swim to the shore of Isola del Giglio. Because the ship capsized so close to the rocky coastline—roughly 300 to 400 meters away—and the list of the vessel made it impossible to launch many of the lifeboats on the port side, people became desperate. Eyewitness accounts describe terrified survivors jumping into the dark, icy Mediterranean waters to reach safety. While some were successful, the swim was perilous due to the winter temperatures and the chaotic nature of the evacuation. Tragically, at least three people were reported to have died from the cold or drowning during their attempt to reach the island. Most of the 4,200 people on board were eventually rescued by lifeboats, helicopters, or local private vessels that rushed to the scene to assist in the evacuation.