"It was like a nightmare from which I couldn't wake up"
Joe Meanen estimates it took him about six seconds to hit the North Sea after jumping 175ft off the burning wreckage of the Piper Alpha oil platform. The fall seemed to last for ever, during which time he thought his first thought would be: "What have I done?"
The Piper Alpha disaster was one of the worst offshore disasters in history. On July 6th, 1988, it suffered multiple catastrophic explosions and collapsed, killing 167 men out of the 228 on board, and two more from the rescue crew.
Meanen had been working as a scaffolder on the platform for two weeks before the disaster. He was one of the few who survived by jumping into the sea, which he later described as "a desperate act" that saved his life.
The explosion occurred at 10pm when a non-operational gas pump ignited, causing the first blast. The platform rocked violently, and part of the roof collapsed, plunging everyone into darkness.
Meanen tried to use his safety training to prepare him for working offshore but realized he needed to keep moving. He joined about 100 other men crouching in an area that was supposed to be fireproofed, using a wet dish towel to protect himself from smoke inhalation.
However, the situation rapidly deteriorated as more explosions occurred and the platform started melting, twisting, and buckling. The group decided to head towards the helideck to attract attention if any helicopters came to save them.
Six men stayed behind in the galley area, where it eventually collapsed into the sea three months later. They had been told to stay back but failed to respond to Meanen's attempts to persuade them to join him on the helideck.
As he climbed up to the helideck through thick black smoke, Meanen realized there was no chance of any helicopters reaching the platform due to its catastrophic damage. The second major explosion occurred when a gas pipe from a neighbouring oil platform burst from the heat radiating from Piper Alpha.
Meanen's only hope for survival would be to jump off the platform and swim to safety. He threw a lifejacket over the edge, took it with him as he jumped 175ft into the sea. The fall seemed like an eternity, during which time Meanen suffered burns on his arms due to heat from being near the fireball.
After what felt like an eternity, he plunged deep into the water and followed the light from flames consuming Piper Alpha until he spotted a lifeboat floating in the distance. He grabbed onto it and managed to keep himself afloat using the lifejacket and a broken roof of a nearby lifeboat.
When he finally got out of the sea, Meanen realized there were people who had gotten off after he had jumped – an astonishing revelation that shook him up even more.
Meanen was one of five survivors from the group of 14 who made it to the helideck. He has since spoken about his experience and its impact on his life, but initially struggled with acknowledging his grief.
Meanen has found solace in talking about his ordeal, saying he believes showing emotions can be beneficial. He has started an annual meet-up for survivors, which helps him reconnect with others who went through similar experiences.
After the disaster, Meanen had to wear medical gloves during summer due to scarring on his hands and arms from burns. Despite this, he claims that wearing them made it harder to connect with people, but eventually decided not to hide behind them any longer.
He believes physical scars helped him cope mentally by providing evidence of his experience. On the other hand, some survivors never received physical scars but faced mental ones instead.
Joe Meanen estimates it took him about six seconds to hit the North Sea after jumping 175ft off the burning wreckage of the Piper Alpha oil platform. The fall seemed to last for ever, during which time he thought his first thought would be: "What have I done?"
The Piper Alpha disaster was one of the worst offshore disasters in history. On July 6th, 1988, it suffered multiple catastrophic explosions and collapsed, killing 167 men out of the 228 on board, and two more from the rescue crew.
Meanen had been working as a scaffolder on the platform for two weeks before the disaster. He was one of the few who survived by jumping into the sea, which he later described as "a desperate act" that saved his life.
The explosion occurred at 10pm when a non-operational gas pump ignited, causing the first blast. The platform rocked violently, and part of the roof collapsed, plunging everyone into darkness.
Meanen tried to use his safety training to prepare him for working offshore but realized he needed to keep moving. He joined about 100 other men crouching in an area that was supposed to be fireproofed, using a wet dish towel to protect himself from smoke inhalation.
However, the situation rapidly deteriorated as more explosions occurred and the platform started melting, twisting, and buckling. The group decided to head towards the helideck to attract attention if any helicopters came to save them.
Six men stayed behind in the galley area, where it eventually collapsed into the sea three months later. They had been told to stay back but failed to respond to Meanen's attempts to persuade them to join him on the helideck.
As he climbed up to the helideck through thick black smoke, Meanen realized there was no chance of any helicopters reaching the platform due to its catastrophic damage. The second major explosion occurred when a gas pipe from a neighbouring oil platform burst from the heat radiating from Piper Alpha.
Meanen's only hope for survival would be to jump off the platform and swim to safety. He threw a lifejacket over the edge, took it with him as he jumped 175ft into the sea. The fall seemed like an eternity, during which time Meanen suffered burns on his arms due to heat from being near the fireball.
After what felt like an eternity, he plunged deep into the water and followed the light from flames consuming Piper Alpha until he spotted a lifeboat floating in the distance. He grabbed onto it and managed to keep himself afloat using the lifejacket and a broken roof of a nearby lifeboat.
When he finally got out of the sea, Meanen realized there were people who had gotten off after he had jumped – an astonishing revelation that shook him up even more.
Meanen was one of five survivors from the group of 14 who made it to the helideck. He has since spoken about his experience and its impact on his life, but initially struggled with acknowledging his grief.
Meanen has found solace in talking about his ordeal, saying he believes showing emotions can be beneficial. He has started an annual meet-up for survivors, which helps him reconnect with others who went through similar experiences.
After the disaster, Meanen had to wear medical gloves during summer due to scarring on his hands and arms from burns. Despite this, he claims that wearing them made it harder to connect with people, but eventually decided not to hide behind them any longer.
He believes physical scars helped him cope mentally by providing evidence of his experience. On the other hand, some survivors never received physical scars but faced mental ones instead.
. Six seconds off a 175ft drop into freezing cold water, no less... I can only imagine the terror he must've felt. And to think some guys stuck around in the darkness, waiting for it all to end... that's just heartbreakin' 
. Meen's story is a reminder that even after we get through traumatic stuff, it's okay to not be okay... we gotta keep talkin' about these things so we can support each other 
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it's like, six seconds to jump into the north sea and survive? that's insane, joe meanen's story is wild... I'm more concerned about how he dealt with his grief & PTSD afterwards tho 
I feel like we can learn a lot from people who've been through traumatic experiences like this. one thing for sure, it's not just about having physical scars, but also mental toughness & the importance of talking about your emotions 
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He's started an annual meet-up for survivors, which is a great way to rebuild connections and share stories. It's awesome that he's found solace in sharing his story and helping others process their emotions 
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However, I think that's also what helped him cope mentally - seeing the scars as proof of what he went through 
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The offshore disaster at Piper Alpha was a stark example of how bureaucratic failures and corporate greed can put human lives at risk 
. I mean, think about it – if the gas pump had been properly maintained or if there were stricter safety protocols in place, who knows, maybe not 167 lives would have been lost 
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. Meanen's story shows that even with the best training and precautions, human error can still occur. We need to ensure that workers are protected and valued, not just as employees but as human beings 
.
. It's not just about wearing medical gloves or attending meetups – it's about creating a system that supports people in their darkest moments 
this story is so shocking it's like a bad dream that you can't wake up from... 6 seconds to jump off a burning platform and almost lose your life 
six seconds is basically zero time when you're facin a fireball and explosions everywhere what happened to those five guys who survived on the helideck too? they musta had some sort of mental block or somethin to get through that night 
175ft fall into icy cold sea is like something out of a movie! i can only imagine how terrifying it must've been for joe meanen to jump from burning wreckage in seconds 
. six seconds might seem like a lot, but trust me, that's an eternity when your life's on the line 
. 
!