Fifty years ago today the luxury liner Andrea Doria collided with another ship - the Stocholm - off the coast of New England and sank. Fifty people perished. Andrew Stevens of Rotonda was on board the Andrea Doria - with his parents. They were returning to the United States after living in Paris for two years. As Stevens recalls, the collission around 11:30 at night - in a deep fog.


“it was very foggy. I had gone out on deck about twenty minutes before and I could not see the bow of our ship the Doria, nor could I see when looking over our the rail of our ship the wake of the ship passing by the ship.”


Stevens and his parents escaped down a rope to a bobbing life boat and were eventually picked up by another ship - the Isle De France. WGCU Public Televisions will broadcast the story of the Andrea Doria tonight at 8:00 on "Secrets of the Dead".