American Maritime Officers Union official says American captains would not have fled the ship like Italian master

"I would have stayed and I can probably speak for all the American colleagues that I know of," said Michael Murphy, national vice president of government relations for the American Maritime Officers Union (AMO).

Murphy spoke to Fox News about the Italian captain who is accused of disembarking the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship early.

 "It's sort of the American ethos, I guess,” he continued. “You don't leave that ship until you've got the people off. That's the type of leadership you expect from the captain."

The death toll has climbed to 11 persons from the ship which ran up on the rocks Friday off the island of Giglio on the Italian coast.

Captain Francesco Schettino is heard in a recorded conversation telling an Italian coast guard official that he did not wish to return to the ship, even as thousands of passengers were yet to be evacuated from the vessel.

"I consider that to be a mortal sin," Murphy said. "He's responsible, that's his ship. He's responsible for the ship and all that's in it. As far as I'm concerned, I have sympathy for him running aground -- that's heart-wrenching -- but leaving his ship and his crew and his passengers, is unforgivable."

Murphy has 45 years of maritime experience including 16 years as a commercial master.

The AMO is the largest American maritime officers union.