Harrison Okene Survives for 3 Days in Shipwreck

Harrison Okene of Nigeria spent three days trapped under sea after a ship overturned, according to reports.
Harrison Okene Survives for 3 Days in Shipwreck
Jack Phillips
12/3/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

Harrison Okene of Nigeria spent three days trapped under sea after a ship overturned, according to reports.

Okene was found by divers who were attempting to make a recovery mission and did not expect him to be alive.

A video that was released on the DCN Diving website showed Okene, 29, in chest-deep water. According to Reuters, Okene was a chef on an oil company ship.

“Three guys were in front of me and suddenly water rushed in full force,” Okene told the news agency. “I saw the first one, the second one, the third one just washed away. I knew these guys were dead.”

Okene said that he found a place to survive in a small air pocket in the ship.

“I was there in the water in total darkness just thinking it’s the end,” he said. “I kept thinking the water was going to fill up the room but it did not.”

According to the “Today” show, Okene said he survived by drinking Coca-Cola and didn’t have any other food or waater.

He was only one of 12 people who survived the accident.

The ship overturned in May but there has been renewed interest in the story after a video was released of the rescue.

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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