April 18th, 2014
10:52 AM ET

South Korea Ferry Disaster: What's The Likelihood of Finding Survivors?

As rescuers take on the daunting task of finding survivors, family members of the missing passengers are pinning slim hopes on floundering air pockets in the capsized South Korean ferry.

They know the odds aren't in their favor, particularly after the entire ferry went underwater Friday. But they point to one especially miraculous tale of survival for their reason for not giving up.

In May 2013, a tug boat carrying a 12-person crew capsized off the coast of Nigeria. Two divers sent to recover the bodies assumed everyone aboard had died. After all, the boat was about 100 feet down under the Atlantic Ocean.

Three days had passed. And when a diver reached for a hand he thought belonged to a corpse, he discovered it was Harrison Okene, the boat's cook.

Okene had survived 60 hours in a 4-foot space - a tiny air bubble - where he'd taken shelter.

"The rest of my life is not enough to thank God for this wonder, it is incredible," he told a local newspaper at the time.

Former Navy SEAL Cade Courtley joined Kate Bolduan on "New Day" to talk about the chance of survival for missing ferry passengers.

Courtley said he believes there's about 12 hours left as searchers continue their rescue efforts.

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soundoff (One Response)
  1. Joe

    I don't see anything on the web that indicates that this guy has any meaningful experience in marine salvage.

    April 21, 2014 at 5:04 am | Reply

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