Live video of the Costa Concordia as workers attempt to refloat the cruise ship 30 months after the vessel hit a reef off of the Italian Coast.
The operation began at 6:00 a.m. local time and the refloating process is expected to take several days. Workers are also attempting to recover the last uncovered body of the 32 shipwreck victims.
Although weather conditions were not optimal for the refloating, they were good enough for operations to begin.
Workers have spent the last 10 months attaching metal boxes to the sides of the ship. They will attempt to drain the water out of the boxes and pump in compressed air, raising the Concordia off of the sea floor.
This first step will raise the Concordia 6.5 feet, and then tug it 30 meters to the east where they will reinforce the bottom of the ship with chains and cables.
The full refloat will then take place as the ship will rise above the water line, deck by deck.
After the Costa Concordia has been refloated, the ship will be towed to a salvage yard where it will be scrapped. The 150 mile trip is expected to take several days.