Life on an oil rig can be arduous and brutal, as Bob Orrell discovered when he worked as a radio operator on the doomed HEWETT A, drilling for gas in the North Sea amidst some of the world's wildest and most hostile waters. He recounts his life onboard with uncompromising clarity: the humor, conflict, camaraderie, atrocious weather, and appalling accidents are all brought vividly to life. When the gas-filled platform suffered a disasterous blowout, rescue boats and helicopters battled against gale-force winds and raging seas to evacuate the surviving members of the crew. Ultimately, the author found himself and one colleague abandoned as the rig continued to spew oil and gas...