In a split second, Joe Meanen's life was forever changed as he desperately leaped from the 175ft (53 metres) high Piper Alpha oil rig into the icy North Sea. It was a fateful night in July 1988 when flames engulfed the platform, and explosions rocked it violently, killing 167 of the 228 men on board.
Meanen, who had just one more day left of his two-week stint before flying home, shared a room with three others. They were all excited to get some time off with their families back on dry land. One of them, David Campbell, was overjoyed after learning he was going to be a father.
As the night wore on, Meanen and his friends watched in horror as the platform's roof collapsed, sending debris flying everywhere. The cinema, where they had gathered just hours earlier, was now a scene of utter chaos. People were screaming, trying to escape the inferno.
In the panic, Meanen attempted to use his safety training to prepare for an emergency evacuation. However, when he tried to reach his designated lifeboat, it became clear that the magnitude of the explosion had compromised the platform's structure. The main control room was destroyed, and no alarms went out.
As he made his way through the thick black smoke, Meanen realized that his only chance of survival was to jump from the platform into the North Sea. He threw a lifejacket over the edge and propelled himself as far as he could before hitting the water.
The fall seemed to last an eternity, with Meanen's first thought being "What the fuck have I done?" As he plunged into the sea, he sustained burns to his arms, which would leave scars for years to come. He managed to grab onto a lifeboat that had been blown from the rig and use it to keep himself afloat.
After what felt like an eternity, Meanen spotted the hull of the lifeboat and made his way back to it. As he looked back at the ruins of Piper Alpha, he realized that there were still people who had escaped on their own terms.
The Piper Alpha disaster was one of the worst offshore oil disasters in history, resulting in 167 fatalities. The incident led to a major overhaul of safety procedures in the North Sea, with Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd being found guilty of inadequate maintenance and safety practices. Meanen's story serves as a powerful reminder of the risks involved in working on oil rigs and the importance of prioritizing safety.
Today, Meanen lives a quiet life in retirement, having married, had children, and run a pub. However, he continues to share his story with oil companies, advocating for better safety measures and honoring the memories of those who lost their lives on Piper Alpha. His journey from that fateful night is one of resilience, survival, and determination to ensure that such tragedies never happen again.
Meanen, who had just one more day left of his two-week stint before flying home, shared a room with three others. They were all excited to get some time off with their families back on dry land. One of them, David Campbell, was overjoyed after learning he was going to be a father.
As the night wore on, Meanen and his friends watched in horror as the platform's roof collapsed, sending debris flying everywhere. The cinema, where they had gathered just hours earlier, was now a scene of utter chaos. People were screaming, trying to escape the inferno.
In the panic, Meanen attempted to use his safety training to prepare for an emergency evacuation. However, when he tried to reach his designated lifeboat, it became clear that the magnitude of the explosion had compromised the platform's structure. The main control room was destroyed, and no alarms went out.
As he made his way through the thick black smoke, Meanen realized that his only chance of survival was to jump from the platform into the North Sea. He threw a lifejacket over the edge and propelled himself as far as he could before hitting the water.
The fall seemed to last an eternity, with Meanen's first thought being "What the fuck have I done?" As he plunged into the sea, he sustained burns to his arms, which would leave scars for years to come. He managed to grab onto a lifeboat that had been blown from the rig and use it to keep himself afloat.
After what felt like an eternity, Meanen spotted the hull of the lifeboat and made his way back to it. As he looked back at the ruins of Piper Alpha, he realized that there were still people who had escaped on their own terms.
The Piper Alpha disaster was one of the worst offshore oil disasters in history, resulting in 167 fatalities. The incident led to a major overhaul of safety procedures in the North Sea, with Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd being found guilty of inadequate maintenance and safety practices. Meanen's story serves as a powerful reminder of the risks involved in working on oil rigs and the importance of prioritizing safety.
Today, Meanen lives a quiet life in retirement, having married, had children, and run a pub. However, he continues to share his story with oil companies, advocating for better safety measures and honoring the memories of those who lost their lives on Piper Alpha. His journey from that fateful night is one of resilience, survival, and determination to ensure that such tragedies never happen again.
Oh man it was like a nightmare come true 4 them guys on that oil rig. I mean who jumps into the North Sea outta nowhere after a fire breaks out? 
And 167 people lost their lives, that's just crazy 
. The fact that they were all excited to go home and be with their families only makes it worse 
. It's like you're thinking everything is gonna be okay till BAM! 
Wrong! 
. I guess you could say he took a leap of faith (literally) 
to survive that awful night. Anyway, it's good to hear that he's doing alright now and is even sharing his story to make sure others don't go through the same thing 
.
Jumping into icy North Sea 
Flames engulfing, explosions rocking, lives lost 
Piper Alpha disaster was one of worst offshore oil disasters 
Occidental Petroleum guilty of inadequate maintenance 
Meanen's story: from survivors to advocates for better safety 
It's crazy how one wrong move can change everything in an instant 
. It's such an important reminder of the risks we take when working on oil rigs, and I'm so grateful that Meanen is sharing his story to help prevent something like this from happening again 
.
they're still with us today in our thoughts and memories. It's crazy how one person's near-death experience can lead to so many changes in safety procedures and regulations.
Just read about Joe Meanen's harrowing experience on the Piper Alpha oil rig... 167 people lost their lives in that disaster 
. But seriously, Joe Meanen's story is a sobering reminder of how quickly life can change and how important safety procedures are on those crazy oil rigs 
.
. I mean, can you imagine being trapped in a fire with no way out? It's not like he was asking for it or anything 
. And yeah, the safety measures at that time were pretty sketchy. I don't think it's an excuse, but stuff just got desperate when people are running around trying to escape.
meanen's story is a real eye opener for me, makes me appreciate the risks that oil rig workers take every day 
and its awesome that hes still sharing his story to make sure something like this never happens again 
his story is still giving me chills tho its insane how something that was meant to be an escape from work turned into a desperate attempt for survival 
It just goes to show that we all have the power to create our own stories, even in the face of adversity. 