Harrison Okene was sitting on the toilet when a freak wave capsized the tugboat Jascon-4 off the coast of Nigeria on 26 May 2013. The boat sank 30 metres to the seabed, and Okene found himself trapped in a small air pocket in a bathroom attached to the second engineer's cabin.
In the darkness, he heard the shouts of his colleagues gradually fall silent. He broke the handle of the door to try to escape but then forced himself to stay calm. Using a piece of steel from a vent, he prised open the door and entered the cabin, where he found two lifejackets with torches.
Okene swam to the watertight exit hatch but could not open it due to lack of air. He returned to the air pocket, where he survived for 60 hours, praying and conserving his energy. He was eventually rescued by divers who heard his tapping.
Ten years later, Okene says the experience deepened his love for the sea. He now works as a diver, having trained after the incident. He views the event not as a disaster but as a testament to his faith and quick thinking.
