The Jacson 4 tugboat, carrying a crew of 12 sunk back in
May, into freezing waters off of the coast of Nigeria. A dive team was
dispatched 72- hours later to search for bodies, as it was presumed all crew members
were on board as the ship sunk.
But they received a shock as they searched the wreck for
bodies. For as they broached the kitchen, they found something they weren’t
expecting. They found Harrison Okene. Alive. Harrison Okene was the ship’s
cook, and had managed to survive for three days underwater in a tiny pocket of
air. Sustaining himself on Coca-Cola in the dark and dank, praying to Jesus, he
stayed there. Until the search team found him.
They had more barriers to overcome yet however. Harrison had
inhaled a potentially lethal amount of nitrogen, which meant his heart may not function
properly back on land. Eventually they worked out how to get him back above
water, where he then spent two days in a decompression chamber. He’s reported
to be in good health now, and safely back with his family. A silver-lining to a tragedy, in which 11 lives were claimed
by the sea.
Harrison was devastated, reduced to tears when he heard the fates of his crewmates, for he had thought he was the only one trapped aboard and that they had escaped.
Harrison was devastated, reduced to tears when he heard the fates of his crewmates, for he had thought he was the only one trapped aboard and that they had escaped.
Why are we reporting this now? The incredible footage of the
unbelievable rescue has just surfaced. Watch as the dive crew searching for
bodies find and save the man they never thought they’d see.
Ari Carrington
