Dramatic Footage Shows Survivor of Sunken Ship's Unlikely Rescue

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By Laura Vitto2013-12-02 18:19:40 -0500

In a remarkable story of survival that made headlines last June, a Nigerian chef miraculously lived through three days trapped at the bottom of the sea in an air pocket of a sunken ship. Six months later, newly-released footage shows the survivor's dramatic and unlikely rescue.

The video documents divers from the commercial diving vessel Lewek Toucan searching the Jacson 4 tugboat wreck for bodies.

At the 5:30 mark, the diver speaking in a high-pitched tone reaches for a hand, only to find that it belongs Harrison Okene, the 12-man crew's sole survivor. The diver excitedly describes what he's found to a fellow rescuer, and before long they outfit the terrified chef with a breathing mask and prepare to return him to safety.

The rescue divers knew Okene would likely suffer decompression sickness if they brought him to the water's surface too quickly. After consulting with an on-call doctor, the divers took the man to a diving bell and then to the surface where they were able to decompress him in a controlled environment.

After two days, he was released and returned to his wife and family. According to The Guardian, Okene is planning to write a book about his experience.

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Image: Live Leak

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