"Excuse me Captain, the passengers are starting to get into the lifeboats by themselves"

SHOCKING NEW FOOTAGE FROM THE BRIDGE OF A BESEIGED AND BEWILDERED COSTA CONCORDIA

Exclusively on Discovery's World Premiere Special - CRUISE SHIP DISASTER: INSIDE THE CONCORDIA Sunday, February 19 at 10pm e/p.

Alarming confusion, heated debate -- Discovery Channel airs exclusive footage of Captain Francseco Schettino and his crew from inside the Costa Concordia bridge assessing what to do next as passengers fight for survival in a world premiere special CRUISE SHIP DISASTER: INSIDE THE CONCORDIA Sunday, February 19 at 10pm e/p. The special will also air globally - check international regions for exact dates and times.

In Discovery's exclusive footage, Schettino is shown speaking by phone on the bridge, illuminated only by emergency lights after the power failed. He seems oblivious to the escalating emergency and the danger faced by 4,200 passengers and crew aboard the ship, which had just began a week long Mediterranean cruise. As the minutes tick by, an officer is heard shouting: "What shall we do? What shall we do ?" Someone else cries: "General emergency!" But the order to abandon ship is still not given. Instead Schettino is heard urgently asking for "tug boats".

Discovery's CRUISE SHIP DISASTER: INSIDE THE CONCORDIA dissects the anatomy of this devastating disaster at sea enlisting forensic specialists from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to investigate what went wrong. Reviewing the series of directives made by Captain Schettino, Discovery's team of maritime experts reveals, in the end, that the changing direction of the wind saved thousands of lives by pushing the sinking luxury liner closer to shore.

Captain Michael Burns of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy is available for interviews.

CRUISE SHIP DISASTER: INSIDE THE CONCORDIA is produced for Discovery Channel by Darlow Smithson. Ben Bowie is executive producer. French Horwitz is executive producer for Discovery Channel.