While head waiter Antonello Tievolli reportedly did not ask the captain to steer towards his native island, he told his family he would be passing by that evening and his sister shared his whereabouts with her Facebook network.
Patrizia Tievoli, Antonello's sister, posted to Facebook Friday, "In a short period of time the Concordia ship will pass very close. A big greeting to my brother who finally get to have a holiday on landing in Savona," (translated from Italian), the Telegraph reports.
As the Concordia approached the coast of the island Giglio, ship Captain Francesco Schettino told the head waiter, a Giglio native, "Come and see, Antonello, we're right in front of Giglio," Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reports.
The captain went too far with the Facebook-cued stunt. The ship hit rocks, which tore through its hull, resulting in the boat's demise. More than 4,000 passengers were evacuated Friday night. Schettino was accused of inexcusable recklessness Monday, for his decision to steer too close to the island.
When Tievolli finally reached the shore of his home island, he reportedly told his friends and family, "I would never have imagined that I'd end up disembarking on my own island like this."
During the Concordia's last voyage past Giglio Jan. 6, Patrizia also spotted the ship and posted to Facebook, “I’m signalling to them. I wonder if they can see me,” Corriere della Sera noted.
Patrizia's Facebook updates are now an ominous reminder of an onlooker's excitement before disaster struck.