Caleb Holloway is one of the fortunate individuals who managed to survive the tragic blowout that took place at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig back on April 20, 2010.
Because of the blowout, made worst when the oil drilling rig's defence system failed to function, 11 people lost their lives and millions of gallons of oil were spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. The story has been translated into the film "Deepwater Horizon," which stars Mark Wahlberg and Kate Hudson.
Holloway, who is played by actor Dylan O'Brien in the film, says the movie was hard for him to watch because it brought back so many painful memories. "But as far as the story goes and the visual, they did a really good job. I'm just grateful that there's something out there to honor our 11 guys that we lost that night," he tells CNS News.
One person Holloway can never forget is his good friend Adam Weise, and he always remembers him whenever he hears the song "How Great Thou Art." During one of their last moments together, Weise noticed that Holloway had the song lyrics inscribed inside his hard hat.
"You know, that's one of my grandmother's favourite songs," Weise told him, and Holloway replied, "Really? It's a special song to me, I love it. It's one of my favourite ones to sing."
After that conversation, the rig's head drill Dewey Revette told the two of them that one of them needs to go to the pump room. Weise volunteered, and he was killed shortly afterwards.
"I went through the whole depression and post-traumatic stuff early on," Holloway recalls. "It was awful... I found myself asking God, 'Why? Why am I going through this? Why did you take my friends? Why didn't You take me? Why am I a survivor of this?' Then one day it just clicked and I sat down and said 'Who am I to ask God why? Who am I to question Him?'"
When Holloway finally accepted God's plan, he decided to put all of his faith in Jesus Christ. He is now a firefighter in Texas. He is married and has two children.
