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Join us as we recount the harrowing tale of the Jascon 4 tugboat, scheduled to support an oil tanker off the coast of Nigeria in 2013.
Tragically, the crew was faced with treacherous storm winds and a massive wave that caused the tugboat to sink. The Coast Guard initially believed that all 12 crew members had gone under. Follow along as we uncover the shocking truth of what really happened on that fateful day.
Surviving Against in the Depths: The Miraculous Story of Okene, the Sole Survivor of a Sunken Ship
The boat quickly sank to a depth of 30m on the seabed. Seawater surged in, and the crew had little chance of surviving.
Everyone drowned except the chef of the ship, Okene.
When the boat capsized, the man was in a spot that saved his life.
“It was 5 am, and I was sitting on the toilet when the vessel started slowing down. The speed was just it was so fast,” Okene told the AP.
The scene was black, but Okene got out of the bathroom and discovered an air pocket inside an engineer’s office.
He constructed the smallest platform to keep his upper body from the water and prevent hypothermia. However, even though the air pocket might have given them a chance to live, it could not ensure his survival.
Okene was not able to escape the vessel. And, if he could run, it would be at least 30 meters to the surface. Something Okene was sure of and did not know. It could be between 50 and 100 meters from the surface of his universe.
It’s difficult to imagine the emotions of panic and fear that might have swept over Okene that night in the darkness. He was wearing only his underwear in the cold, dark, noisy room. From his secure place, Okene could hear sea creatures eating dead colleagues.
Miraculous Survival: How Okene’s Prayers Were Answered After Being Trapped Underwater.
Okene discovered that there was only one thing that he could do: pray for the rest of his life.
“All are surrounding me, and it was noise and black. My tears were erupting, and pleading for Jesus to help me. I prayed so hard, was hungry, cold, and thirsty and praying for a glimpse of light.” Okene said.
Incredibly, his prayers would be fulfilled. After two and a half hours in his tiny pockets of air, Okene could hear noises from the outside. The South African diving team went to the boat to retrieve the wreck’s bodies. As they began exploring areas, one noticed something that made him feel cold.
At first, the diver, Nico van Heerden, believed he’d found another dead crew member. However, when he saw Okene immediately, he realized that his hand was moving, and the sailor appeared alive. After his shock diminished, the diver was instructed to calm Okene by gently patting Okene on his shoulders.
The camera of the diver captured the shock reaction.
Okene demonstrated remarkable calm after being discovered, and he obeyed the instructions of the diver, who was careful to help him return to the surface.
“I realized that when he offered me water, he was watching me to see whether I’m human because he was scared,” Okene told the AP.
It was not an easy feat. When the man was finally released from the hospital, he was kept in a hyperbaric chamber for many days to avoid brain injury. The man’s rescue and discovery could be described as “The Amazing Escape”! Okene later clarified that he survived on the contents of a Coca-Cola as a trap for the can.
Despite some highly traumatic situations, Okene bounced back and returned home to his wife, Akpovona. According to her wife, her husband suffered nightmares for months following the incident.
