Nigerian man who survived three days at bottom of Atlantic Ocean credits God for survival

By Heather Clark

LAGOS, Nigeria – A Nigerian man who miraculously survived after spending three days at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean is crediting God for sustaining his life.

In May of this year, 12 men aboard the Jacson 4 found themselves in the fight of their life when their tugboard capsized off the African coast. One man, Harrison Odjegba Okene, who was the cook for the team, was in the bathroom when the incident occurred. It was very early—approximately 4:30 a.m.

Okene told reporters this week that after the ship turned over, he searched for an air pocket, piled a couple of mattresses on a rack and waited—for three days. He was dressed in only his boxers and could hear sea creatures fighting over their next meal.

However, the night before, Okene’s wife had texted him some Psalms, as the couple is Christian. He recalled those Psalms as he waited patiently 100 feet below the surface.

“I started calling on the name of God,” Okene told the Nation. “I started reminiscing on the verses I read before I slept. I read the Bible from Psalms 54 to 92. My wife had sent me the verses to read that night when she called me before I went to bed.”

“O God, by your name, save me,” he recited. “The Lord sustains my life.”

As Okene waited, temperatures dropped to freezing and oxygen levels began running low. But he trusted in God.