South African salvage master Nick Sloane, who headed the ‘parbuckling’ operation at the Giglio harbour in mid-September to raise the wreck of the Costa Concordia, emerged from the project as something of a celebrity. Sloane started his career with South African company Safmarine in 1980, but has since been involved in a number of global marine operations. After a 19-hour-long operation, salvage crews completed the raising of the wreck of the Costa Concordia in the early hours of Tuesday, September 17. The cruise liner capsized off the Tuscan island in January last year.