On the night of April 20, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, causing a massive oil leak that continues to flow into Gulf waters. The explosion also profoundly affected the lives of 127 workers aboard the rig, including 11 who were killed. 23-year-old Christopher Choy survived the explosion and shared his experience with the PBS NewsHour and National Public Radio.
Choy and a colleague tried to rescue fellow worker Aaron Dale Burkeen, who had fallen from a crane and was trapped behind intense flames. But, he and the other workers were ordered to abandon the rig and had to leave Burkeen behind. Click here to hear Choy talk about leaving a crewmate behind.
After Choy and the other surviving workers endured a harrowing escape in a lifeboat, they were rescued by a nearby cargo ship and brought ashore. There, Choy was asked to sign paperwork indicating that he had not been injured in the explosion and that he would not require reimbursement for medical expenses. Weeks later, Choy continues to have sleepless nights and nightmares about the explosion and is receiving treatment from a psychotherapist who is treating four other rig survivors. Choy insists the document he signed "shouldn't count" because he was under stress at the time and that Transocean, the company that owned the rig, should assume responsibility for all consequences of the explosion.
Quotes
"I thought somebody was outside, cleaning outside my room or something, so I just went back to sleep. And then I heard an explosion, but I didn't know it was an explosion, I just heard a loud boom." - Christopher Choy, Deepwater Horizon rig worker
"Physically, I didn't feel hurt at all.... You know, I figured just having the bad dreams and stuff was something that would just last a couple days and kind of fade away. And it hasn't." - Christopher Choy, Deepwater Horizon rig worker
"Typically a corporation will have a sort of a playbook they go through when something big happens. And this, I would guess, was sort of part of their playbook to try to ascertain who may have claims against them." - Jeff Rensberger, professor, South Texas College of Law
"From the beginning, our focus has been on the crewmembers and their families, working with all parties in the response efforts and conducting a Transocean investigation into the incident." - Transocean statement
Warm Up Questions
1. What caused the oil spill that is currently affecting the Gulf Coast?
2. How is oil collected out of the ground?
3. What is offshore oil drilling? What kind of equipment does it involve?
Discussion Questions
1. What did you learn about what it is like to work on an oil rig?
2. Do you think Choy did the right thing by filing a lawsuit against Transocean? Why or why not?
3. Do you agree with Choy that the document he signed stating he wasn't injured "shouldn't count?"
Additional Resources
NewsHour Exclusive: Oil Rig Worker Shares Tale of Survival, Fear, Legal Tangles
Gulf Oil Spill Could Be Most Damaging in History
Gulf Coast Oil Spill Puts Political Future of Offshore Drilling in Question
