Husband and father, Larry O’Brien, loved the freedom his job as a long-distance lorry driver gave him. But on March 6th 1987, that freedom was almost lost in the horror of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, in which almost 200 people lost their lives. Larry – who could not swim – risked his own life to pull 30 people to safety.
 
Almost 40 years later, Larry tells Dr Sian Williams why he never felt like a hero, how he came to terms with what happened, and why – after a career change into local politics – he decided to return to the road. 
 
Producer: Tom Alban

Husband and father, Larry O’Brien, loved the freedom his job as a long-distance lorry driver gave him. But on March 6th 1987, that freedom was almost lost in the horror of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, in which almost 200 people lost their lives. Larry – who could not swim – risked his own life to pull 30 people to safety. Almost 40 years later, Larry tells Dr Sian Williams why he never felt like a hero, how he came to terms with what happened, and why – after a career change into local politics – he decided to return to the road. Producer: Tom Alban

The Reluctant Hero

In this series Dr Sian Williams talks to people who have lived through extraordinary events that have set their lives on an entirely different course.This podcast is all about the human experience, how people deal with obstacles that turn their lives upside down. The journeys are not always straightforward and there are often some remarkable discoveries along the way.Would you like to appear on the podcast? Do you have an extraordinary story to tell? We'd love to hear from you: <a href="mailto:lifechanging@bbc.co.uk">lifechanging@bbc.co.uk</a>

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

In this series Dr Sian Williams talks to people who have lived through extraordinary events that have set their lives on an entirely different course. This podcast is all about the human experience, how people deal with obstacles that turn their lives upside down. The journeys are not always straightforward and there are often some remarkable discoveries along the way. Would you like to appear on the podcast? Do you have an extraordinary story to tell? We'd love to hear from you: lifechanging@bbc.co.uk

In this series Dr Sian Williams talks to people who have lived through extraordinary events that have set their lives on an entirely different course.This podcast is all about the human experience, how people deal with obstacles that turn their lives upside down. The journeys are not always straightforward and there are often some remarkable discoveries along the way.Would you like to appear on the podcast? Do you have an extraordinary story to tell? We'd love to hear from you: <a href="mailto:lifechanging@bbc.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer">lifechanging@bbc.co.uk</a>

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The Reluctant Hero

The Reluctant Hero

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