ITALY -- Rescue operations resumed Monday in Italy in hopes of finding those who remain missing after the Costa Concordia cruise ship capsized Friday night, including two Americans.
The death toll has risen to six after searchers found the body of a male passenger wearing a life vest in the corridor of the above-water portion of the ship. The number of people believed to still be missing rose from 16 to 29 Monday.
CBS News reports that top Coast Guard official Marco Brusco said on state TV that 25 passengers and four crew members were unaccounted for three days after the ship crashed into a reef off the Tuscan coast and capsized. A jump from 16 reported missing earlier in the day.
Among those missing are two Americans identified as Gerald and Barbara Heil of White Bear Lake, Minn. The chances that they’ll be found alive three days after the accident grow slimmer.
The vessel shifted due to rough seas, suspending the search for several hours. The capsized ship lies off the island of Giglio and is in a very precarious position. Should the Concordia suddenly drop, any divers participating in the rescue operation could be doomed, CBS News reports. Just beyond where the ship lies is a seabed that drops off quickly by some 65-100 feet.
Another concern is that any movement of the vessel could result in some of the 500,000 gallons of fuel on board leaking into the pristine waters off Giglio, a protected dolphin sanctuary.
According to the chairman and CEO of the cruise line, the captain made an unauthorized change-of-course that lead to the deadly crash against a reef Friday.
Read: Captain of Costa Concordia cruise ship jailed, blamed for accident & deaths
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