Good night, take care of kids: Last message of Andhra sailor killed in US attack

For the widow of Patnala Suresh, a 44-year-old marine engineer from here who was among the three Indian crew members killed in a US military strike on a commercial vessel off the Oman coast, every day began with a simple "Good morning" message from her husband.

However, from now on the grieving widow, Bhargavi will be greeted only by the silence of an empty message box.

The dreams of a family reunion ahead of their 15th wedding anniversary later this month were shattered, plunging the family into grief and despair.

His last message to her on the night before the attack was, "Good night. Take care of the children," a distraught Bhargavi told PTI.

"Suresh would send a good morning message every day to family members. On the morning of the attack, I kept waiting for the message, hoping that he was simply busy because he would normally not be on deck at that hour," she said.

"We were four; now we have become three," she further said, describing the impact of the tragedy on the family, adding that their two sons--aged 13 and 10, have been inconsolable since learning about their father's death.

The US Central Command has acknowledged the strike, saying the vessel violated the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports by attempting to transport oil from Iran.

Bhargavi described Suresh as an extremely private person who never sought publicity or social media attention. She added that her only priority now was to see him and bring him (mortal remains) home.

Suresh, who is survived by his wife, two sons, parents and a sister, had nearly two decades of experience in the maritime industry and had worked with the same company for around 12 years before serving as Chief Engineer at the time of the incident.

According to the family, Suresh had already received his relieving letter and was awaiting a replacement before returning home after nearly five months at sea.

She described marine engineering as not merely a profession but Suresh's passion.

According to information conveyed to the family, a problem was reported with the vessel's generator and Suresh went to inspect it when the strike occurred. She was informed that he was directly hit and had no opportunity to escape.

The family has sought assistance in obtaining official information regarding the incident, recovery of the mortal remains and the repatriation process.

The family was eagerly awaiting his arrival and believed he would be back before their anniversary on June 24.

Bhargavi recalled that one of their recent conversations revolved around his journey home. Suresh had joked that the airport had shifted farther away and that she would have to leave much earlier to pick him up when he returned.

Andhra Pradesh Bhavan Commissioner in New Delhi Arja Srikanth said efforts were underway to coordinate with the concerned authorities and extend all possible support to the bereaved family.

He has written to Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas, Ambassador of India to Oman, seeking urgent assistance in the case of Suresh.

In his communication, Srikanth requested the Indian Embassy in Muscat to coordinate with the authorities concerned, expedite the necessary documentation and repatriation formalities, and extend all possible support to the grieving family while keeping them informed about developments in the case.

Bhargavi said Suresh had originally travelled to the vessel only to assist another chief engineer for a 10-day assignment.

However, after he joined, the other engineer was relieved while Suresh was retained because of his extensive experience and ability to operate different types of vessels.

He carried very little luggage, taking only a few clothes as there was no indication that the deployment would be extended.

Soon after he joined, the Chinese New Year period delayed operations and the crew remained at anchorage for around 20 days before unloading work commenced. Subsequently, regional hostilities escalated, prolonging his stay, she said.

The 48,000-ton vessel was involved in transporting cargo and depended on smaller vessels to transfer material onto it, she added.

The vessel had been at that location for about a week before the strike and had already loaded approximately 28,000 tonnes of cargo, she said.

Bhargavi said communication restrictions and jammers in the area prevented audio and video calls, forcing the couple to rely mainly on text messages.

- Ends