Trapped in a 'metal coffin' on the ocean floor

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In 1988, after colliding with a fishing trawler at the surface, the Peruvian submarine Pacocha began to sink. Some of the sailors started to abandon ship and First Lieutenant Roger Cotrina Alvarado had to make a choice - jump overboard and live, or go back inside the submarine for the rest of the crew. The sinking submarine dragged him and 21 others down 42 metres to the ocean floor. With oxygen running out, it would become Roger's job to find a way to escape. This story originally aired in two parts on 10 and 17 July 2021. Get in touch: [email protected] Presenter: Clayton Conn Producers: Clayton Conn and Mariana Des Forges Interpreter: Martin Esposito (Image: Collage of photographs of the Pacocha, crew, the submarine and Roger Cotrina Alvarado. Credit: All courtesy of Roger Cotrina Alvarado)