What do you do when your tugboat sinks off the coast of Africa and you are trapped inside? You slowly feel the vessel travel deeper to the bottom of the ocean in pitch blackness. With every breath you take you are losing the oxygen held in the small air bubble you managed to get yourself in. Well...if your Harrison Okene, the cook on this tugboat, you dig deep inside yourself and manage to stay alive for 3 days until divers come to rescue you.
Tugboat Jascon 4
Harrison, a Nigerian native, was lost at sea after his tugboat AHT Jascon 4 capsized and sank 100 feet below the surface of the ocean. He was trapped in a four-foot bathroom with no way to signal for help, no food, no water...nothing, for three days.
His amazing survival was filmed by rescue divers who in all actuality where coming in a more recovery effort and were completely shocked to find Harrison reaching out to be saved. Below is the diver's miraculous video upon coming across a man 100 feet underwater for three days.
Harrison is from Warri Nigeria and is 29 from years old. He is the only crew member to survive when the tug capsized on May 26 2013 due to heavy swells around 20 miles off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean.
Picture taken on June 12, 2013 during an interview with Reuters outside an hotel in Nigeria.(REUTERS)
During the interview with Reuters Harrison commented
"As I was coming out of the toilet it was pitch black so we were trying to link our way out to the water tidal (exit hatch),"
"Three guys were in front of me and suddenly water rushed in full force. I saw the first one, the second one, the third one just washed away. I knew these guys were dead."
Harrison was washed away down the passageway into another toilet. He stayed there for approximately a day before making his way in the darkness into the adjoining officers stateroom. There he used the vessel's paneling to make a somewhat raft to keep him out of the water. Being submerged in the salt water for so long his skin and mouth started to peel. Once there he waited and prayed countless times. While sitting there in the dark he commented saying
"I was very, very cold and it was black. I couldn't see anything..."
"…but I could perceive the dead bodies of my crew were nearby. I could smell them. The fish came in and began eating the bodies. I could hear the sound. It was horror."
Finally he heard the divers in the water. Once he saw the divers light he jumped into the water to grab the divers hand extending out.
"When I am at home sometimes it feels like the bed I am sleeping in is sinking. I think I'm still in the sea again. I jump and I scream"
This ordeal must take its toll on a human being and we hope soon Harrison can forget what happened. This is an amazing story of survival but we also have to remember the 11 other crew members who were lost. Our condolences go out to their families.