When a man loves a woman, he will do almost anything, including sacrifice his life for hers.
As the Costa Concordia cruise ship went down off the west coast of Italy Jan. 13, Nicole Servel’s husband, Francis, gave her the only life jacket they had, Emirates247.com reports.
“I owe my life to my husband,” Servel, 61, told reporters, explaining she can’t swim, and the water was too strong for him.
Just hours after it departed, the cruise ship hit rocks, forcing passengers to evacuate. According to CNN, direction from the ship’s crew was unclear, so many passengers took matters into their own hands, rushing to secure life vests for themselves. CNN describes people frantically jumping into the water and lifeboats, which became overloaded with passengers.
According to Nicole Servel, her husband only took 1 life jacket. Sources say, while Francis could swim, and Nicole couldn’t, he knew the water current was too strong for him, but he made the decision to save her.
He told his wife: “Go on my darling, swim straight ahead, I will get myself out.” That was the last time she him, a former French Air Force pilot.
According to Nicole, her husband Francis left the life jackets for those who really needed them – women and children. “He sacrificed his life,” she says.
Nicole said Francis gave her his life jacket before they leapt off the sinking cruise ship.
“There weren’t enough life jackets. I can’t swim so he gave me his life jacket. Then he shouted ‘jump, jump, jump,'” she says.
“I froze and couldn’t jump, but he jumped off the ship and shouted upwards ‘come on, don’t worry’. I jumped off and the last thing I heard him say was that I would be fine. Then I never saw him again,” Nicole recounts.
Swimming on her back through the waves 61-year-old Nicole Servel made it the rocky shore. Alone in the desperately cold water, she says only the thoughts of her children and grandchildren kept her alive.
Her story backs up other survivor claims that it was a case of every man, woman and child for themselves. Fights broke out to get into the lifeboats, men refused to prioritize women, expectant mothers and children as they pushed themselves forward to escape.
Nicole blames the loss of her husband on the ship’s crew, some of whom saved themselves without helping any passengers, Emirates 24/7 reports.
The Costa Concordia CEO is placing fault for the disaster on Captain Francesco Schettino.
