"I remember it like a nightmare," Joe Meanen recalls, his voice heavy with emotion as he describes the devastating events of July 6th, 1988. That day, the Piper Alpha oil rig exploded and collapsed in a catastrophic disaster that claimed the lives of 167 workers and two rescuers.
Meanen, then 29 years old, was on board as a scaffolder, having started his career on oil rigs at just 22 during the North Sea's booming oil boom. He had only one day left of his two-week stint before flying home on Friday morning. His friends and family were counting down the hours until their reunion, unaware of the horror that awaited.
At around 9 pm, Meanen and his accommodation mates settled in for a movie night with about 40 other crew members. But as they watched the film, disaster struck when an error-activated non-operational gas pump ignited, causing the first explosion. The platform shook violently, and part of the roof collapsed, plunging them into darkness.
Meanen's training kicked in, and he attempted to make his way to his designated lifeboat station. However, the magnitude of the explosion became clear, and he realized that evacuation was impossible. As he crouched with about 100 men trying to avoid smoke inhalation, Meanen heard other explosions and the platform's structure twisting and buckling.
"We didn't know what we were dealing with," Meanen says, recalling the chaos. "It was like a nightmare come true."
In the frenzy, Meanen became separated from his mates. He would not see two of them again, including David Campbell, who had just learned he was going to be a father. With no other options, Meanen chose his next steps carefully and jumped 175 feet off the burning wreckage into the North Sea.
The fall seemed to last an eternity as he plummeted towards the water. His first thought was: "What the fuck have I done?" but it didn't take long for him to realize that this was his only chance of survival.
Meanen's memory of his escape is hazy, but during his fall, he sustained burns on his arms from flailing in the air. When he finally plunged into the water, he followed the light from the flames and swam towards the surface, where he found his lifejacket floating nearby.
As he drifted away from the burning platform, Meanen spotted the hull of a lifeboat and made his way to it. He was one of five survivors out of a group of 14 who made it to the helideck.
The aftermath of the disaster was traumatic for Meanen. It took him months to recover from his physical burns, but he believes that being physically injured played a role in helping him cope mentally.
"I would think that's a lot tougher for them," Meanen says about those who didn't suffer visible scars. "My scars give me evidence that I was there and involved. Whereas some people never got any physical scars, just mental ones. I think it's a lot tougher for them."
Meanen went on to rebuild his life, marrying, having two children, and running a pub. He now works as a school bus driver, sharing his story and offering advice on safety offshore.
As he looks back on that fateful night, Meanen is haunted by the memories of those who lost their lives. "Hopefully to make things better," he says, but also to honor the people who had to sacrifice everything.
Meanen, then 29 years old, was on board as a scaffolder, having started his career on oil rigs at just 22 during the North Sea's booming oil boom. He had only one day left of his two-week stint before flying home on Friday morning. His friends and family were counting down the hours until their reunion, unaware of the horror that awaited.
At around 9 pm, Meanen and his accommodation mates settled in for a movie night with about 40 other crew members. But as they watched the film, disaster struck when an error-activated non-operational gas pump ignited, causing the first explosion. The platform shook violently, and part of the roof collapsed, plunging them into darkness.
Meanen's training kicked in, and he attempted to make his way to his designated lifeboat station. However, the magnitude of the explosion became clear, and he realized that evacuation was impossible. As he crouched with about 100 men trying to avoid smoke inhalation, Meanen heard other explosions and the platform's structure twisting and buckling.
"We didn't know what we were dealing with," Meanen says, recalling the chaos. "It was like a nightmare come true."
In the frenzy, Meanen became separated from his mates. He would not see two of them again, including David Campbell, who had just learned he was going to be a father. With no other options, Meanen chose his next steps carefully and jumped 175 feet off the burning wreckage into the North Sea.
The fall seemed to last an eternity as he plummeted towards the water. His first thought was: "What the fuck have I done?" but it didn't take long for him to realize that this was his only chance of survival.
Meanen's memory of his escape is hazy, but during his fall, he sustained burns on his arms from flailing in the air. When he finally plunged into the water, he followed the light from the flames and swam towards the surface, where he found his lifejacket floating nearby.
As he drifted away from the burning platform, Meanen spotted the hull of a lifeboat and made his way to it. He was one of five survivors out of a group of 14 who made it to the helideck.
The aftermath of the disaster was traumatic for Meanen. It took him months to recover from his physical burns, but he believes that being physically injured played a role in helping him cope mentally.
"I would think that's a lot tougher for them," Meanen says about those who didn't suffer visible scars. "My scars give me evidence that I was there and involved. Whereas some people never got any physical scars, just mental ones. I think it's a lot tougher for them."
Meanen went on to rebuild his life, marrying, having two children, and running a pub. He now works as a school bus driver, sharing his story and offering advice on safety offshore.
As he looks back on that fateful night, Meanen is haunted by the memories of those who lost their lives. "Hopefully to make things better," he says, but also to honor the people who had to sacrifice everything.
That's just so sad 
. I can imagine how terrifying it must have been for Joe Meanen and all the others on that oil rig. The thought of being trapped in a fire with no way out is just... 
. And he jumped off the burning wreckage into the sea, what a huge risk 
. It's amazing he made it out alive 
.
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. I'm glad he found a way to rebuild his life after what happened, but at the same time, I can see why he's still haunted by those memories 
.
but it's real life 
. Joe Meanen's story is so harrowing I feel bad for him and all the others who lost their lives... 167 people, that's crazy 
. But at the same time, I'm just amazed by his bravery and determination to survive 
. Jumping off a burning platform into the North Sea? That's some next level stuff 
. And I love how he mentions that his physical scars helped him cope with the mental trauma, it's like his body was saying "Hey, you're still here, mate" 
. Anyway, just gotta say that this tragedy is still really tough to process and I hope that Meanen's story helps raise awareness about safety offshore and honors the memories of those who lost their lives 
. meanen's story is tragic, but i think his focus on physical scars vs mental trauma is a bit simplistic. it's like, what about those who didn't get lucky with a 175ft fall? 
The thought of someone having to jump from a burning rig is just mind-blowing. I can only imagine how tough it must've been for Meanen to go through all that. 
. It just highlights how some issues, like workplace safety, are timeless and need constant attention.
. This isn't just a tragedy; it's an opportunity for us to learn and grow as a society.
.
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but can u imagine being separated from your mates in the chaos? 
. I mean, shouldn't they have been more prepared for such an event? And what's with all these 'error-activated non-operational gas pumps'... can't they just be turned off?! It's a miracle Joe Meanen didn't get himself killed too 
, and I don't think it's right to say that being physically scarred makes survival easier, either... mental health should be prioritized, not physical ones 
just reading about this is giving me goosebumps... the fact that joe meanen survived such a horrific disaster and still shares his story with us is truly inspiring 
? No wonder he's still haunted by those memories 
, but it's also heartbreaking to think about all the people who didn't make it out alive 
.
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167 lives lost at sea and Meanen's near-death experience still haunts him... I think what really gets me about this story is how it highlights the psychological trauma that can come with surviving a tragedy like this. People often talk about PTSD, but Meanen says he thinks those who didn't suffer physical scars might find it even tougher to cope mentally