Crab fishing on the Bering Sea is one of the most dangerous jobs. Survival after having to abandon ship is tenuous at best, even with survival suits. Many have tragically died. This effort to save a crew and the reactions of people involved, evidences the instinctive understanding that human life which is created in the image of God (imago dei – Gen 1), is of supreme, inestimable value. “the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough” (Ps 49:8) While all life is valuable, human life is in a category unto its own, the pinnacle of God’s Creation. Everyone knows that. That is why the penalty for taking a human life is universally adjudged far more serious than taking any other kind of life. This is why people sacrifice themselves to save others; as Jesus said, there is no greater love exists than to lay one’s life down for another (John 15:13). And that’s precisely what Jesus did for us.

There are two videos here. (If you’re wondering how this was captured on video, each boat had a video cameraman onboard to shoot footage for the series “The Deadliest Catch”.) The first video reveals the start if a catastrophic and dangerous ammonia leak, requiring the crew to abandon the ship. The second video chronicles the attempt to rescue them.