Nigerian ship cook, Harrison Odjegba Okene, was on the Jascon 4. That’s a tugboat that capsized while stabilizing an oil tanker at a Chevron platform in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean.
They were about 32 km off the Nigerian coast when it happened. The boat came to rest at the bottom of the sea measuring about 98 feet down from the surface.
Okene summoned up all the courage he had left and made his way to the engineer’s office.
There, he was able to survive by fabricating a platform using a mattress and other materials. This allowed Okene’s upper body to stay above the water. Imagine how he must have felt down there.
Here is incredible footage of when a rescue diver found Harrison.
South African divers, Nicolaas van Heerden, Darryl Oosthuizen and Andre Erasmus took on the daunting task of going under to look for survivors.
These guys have nerves of steel. They were probably expecting to find bodies but Okene was there, hoping and praying.
Okene was down there for three days, submerged in the dark, waiting for the end to come knocking.
He was wearing his boxer shorts as he recited the last text message his wife, Akpovona, had sent him. It was Psalm 54 from the bible, also called the prayer for deliverance. It goes, “Oh God, by your name, save me. … The Lord sustains my life.”
Harrison was getting ready to meet his Maker. But God had other plans for him it seems.
One of the divers was making his way around the capsized boat while talking to his fellow diver on the radio when he lets out a startled gasp. A hand was reaching out to him!
“He’s alive! He’s alive! Okay, keep him there. Keep him there.”
The diver holds on to Okene’s hand as he follows the instructions he’s receiving from his fellow diver. He tells Harrison to drink some water and after a brief exchange, he fits all the gear necessary for diving on Okene.
Harrison is told to breathe and relax under water while they made their way out and up. Okene is one tough survivor! He’s calm and coherent, completely trusting his rescuers. All he wants is to get out of there.
A viewer commented,
“I read the story…..and I bet when the initial diver, expecting to find corpses, found a moving hand, probably scared the piss out of him…Awesome story. Glad they found a survivor.”
Absolutely mind blowing.
That tugboat could have very well been Okene’s watery tomb. He refused to give up hope, holding on to his faith with the hopes of seeing his wife and family again. But I think a change in career is in order.
Those rescue divers risked their own lives as well, and it’s highly possible they’ve become buddies with Harrison after this incredible rescue. No swimming for awhile though. These guys have had enough of water. For now at least.
Watch the incredible footage of Okene’s rescue below!
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