Nigerian cook Harrison Odjegba Okene survived 60 hours trapped in an air pocket 100 feet underwater after the tugboat he was in capsized in May 2013.
The Jascon-4 vessel had been pulling an oil tanker off the coast of Nigeria when it suddenly overturned and rapidly sank to the Atlantic Ocean floor.
While 11 of his crew members perished in the disaster, the 29-year-old cook managed to find a small air pocket in the ship’s hull.
Wearing only his boxer shorts in the pitch-black compartment, Okene faced hypothermia as cold ocean water continuously seeped into his diminishing air space.
Drinking Coca-Cola to stay hydrated and listening to the sounds of fish eating the bodies of his deceased shipmates, Okene clung to life while reciting a psalm his wife had shared with him.
On the third day underwater, Okene heard knocking sounds. South African divers sent to recover bodies were shocked to discover his hand reaching out from the darkness.
Rescuers fitted Okene with an oxygen mask and carefully decompressed him during the rescue to prevent deadly gas bubbles from forming in his blood.
Okene’s unprecedented survival stunned the diving community – most shipwreck victims in similar circumstances die within hours, not days.
After his rescue, Okene suffered from nightmares and survivor’s guilt. Though offered work on land by the same company, he vowed never to return to the sea. However, he later returned to the sea and became a diver against his brother’s wish, choosing to deal with his fears and trauma.
His remarkable story remains one of the most extraordinary survival tales in maritime history.
Sources: Associated Press, The Mail & Guardian, Maritime Executive
