CA couple escapes sinking Italian ship

RIVERSIDE, Calif.

Pictures were taken of Jim and Maria Groff in front of the Costa Concordia before the accident.

The Groffs were in Italy celebrating their anniversary and Maria's birthday.

Their daughter, Geanette Trumbull, a Riverside resident, said her parents had been on the cruise before it made its last stop in an Italian port.

A short time later, the ship, carrying more than 4,000 people, tipped over on its side off the coast of Tuscany, tearing a gash in its hull and flooding with water.

So far, three bodies have been recovered.

125 Americans were on board the ship when it ran aground Friday. The ship's captain is under investigation on allegations of manslaughter and abandoning his ship.

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