'I survived the Costa Concordia disaster while I was pregnant — this is my story'
'I survived the Costa Concordia disaster while I was pregnant — this is my story'
Peter Harris & Charl WrightThu, July 16, 2026 at 9:44 AM UTC
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Meghan Scimone was pregnant when the disaster occurred -Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited
A couple has shared their harrowing experience of surviving one of the worst maritime disasters since the Titanic while shielding their young daughter from harm.
Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea is now streaming on Netflix and details the tragic real-life events involving the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia. According to the synopsis, the feature-length documentary uses never-before-seen footage along with survivor accounts to chronicle the 2012 catastrophe.
The vessel struck a rock formation after sailing dangerously close to the Italian coastline near the town of Giglio. More than 4,000 people were on board, including both passengers and crew. Sadly, 32 lives were lost.
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Netflix's new documentary examines what happened from the survivors' perspective, including translated recordings of communications with the captain, who was jailed for his role in the disaster, reports Wales Online.
Among those who lived through the tragedy were John and Meghan Scimone. The couple was on the trip to enjoy one of their first vacations as a young family.
John and Meghan Scimone in Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea -Credit:Netflix
Their daughter Lilah was just 14 months old when the incident took place in January 2012. They recalled how they were completing their nightly routine when disaster struck.
They felt unusually strong vibrations throughout their cabin. As they grabbed their child, who immediately started crying, and rushed toward the deck where the lifeboats were located, the ship lost power.
Forced to shout to each other through the blackness to stay together, John and Meghan fought to secure their life jackets, only to find no lifeboats remained on their section of the deck.
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32 people died in the disaster -Credit:Getty Images
As the vessel started tilting, John recounts how the hallway they occupied turned into what seemed like a massive chute. Recognizing it as their sole route out, they slid downward, though Lilah sustained a serious head injury during the descent.
In a disturbing recollection, Meghan remembers a distressing moment after entering the water, when she frantically attempted to get the attention of a woman in a lifeboat, begging her to rescue her daughter. The woman merely shook her head.
Ultimately, they succeeded in catching a lifeboat captain's attention, who rescued them all. Following their traumatic experience, John acknowledged he faced tremendous difficulties. He said, "When we got home, I was completely broken. I was diagnosed with PTSD, and I had panic attacks. I had nightmares."
Meghan and John's daughter experienced a head injury after the boat violently tilted -Credit:MAURIX/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Near the end of the documentary, John becomes emotional as he expresses gratitude that his family made it through. A voice off-camera then tells him, "John, she survived because of you."
He replied, "I just fought so hard that night to save them. There were times when I thought we weren't going to get off (the ship). But I'm so glad we did."
Naturally, both John and Meghan were extremely worried about how the traumatic experience would impact their young daughter. However, they share that she went on to have a completely normal childhood.
Meghan discovered she was pregnant when they returned home -Credit:Netflix
John said, "Lilah is the most well-rounded, grounded, incredible 15-year-old. And she's the most beautiful ballerina. She's just such a beautiful young woman."
The couple also revealed that soon after their safe return home, they discovered Meghan was pregnant and would have been carrying their child on that tragic night. She said, "One of the greatest gifts I could've been given was that pregnancy."
She went on to explain that her ultrasound indicated the conception date matched the date of the cruise disaster, as John quipped, "Now you know why I didn't have time to put my shirt on!"
Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea is now available to watch on Netflix.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
