A 44-year-old marine engineer, Suresh Patnala, was among the three Indian crew members who died in the US military strike on a commercial tanker on Wednesday (Jun 10). According to reports, Patnala’s family was awaiting his return to his home in Visakhapatnam next week to celebrate his 15th wedding anniversary. Indian authorities on Thursday (Jun 12) confirmed the death of three Indian nationals aboard MT Settebello off the Oman coast.
For his wife, Bhargavi, every day began with a “Good morning” message from her husband. She recalled that on the day of the attack on the ship, she kept waiting for the message, hoping he was busy. Instead, the family later learned of the tragedy.
“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.
She recalled his last message sent by him on the night before the attack: “Good night. Take care of the children.”
“We were four; now we have become three,” she further said, describing the impact of the loss on their family. Their two sons, aged 13 and 10, have struggled to come to terms with their father’s death.
Who was Suresh Patnala?
Trending Stories
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
'Agitation cannot justify lathi-charge': CJI Surya Kant's BIG response to police brutality against protesting students
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
Hidden in British archives: Scientists decode 200-year-old Indian scroll that helped sailors cross one of the world's toughest seas
)
He predicted COVID-19 and 2008 economic crisis, was labeled fearmonger. Now he has another dire warning
)
'House raided, father picked up': UP man Mohd Junaid alleges crackdown after CJP protest; Police deny claims
)
Trump's latest rant is about a 'massive television outage' that never happened
)
Putin rambles in TV speech after cancelling Navy Day parade fearing an attack by Ukraine
)
RSS backed Jantar Mantar student protest? Mohan Bhagwat's 'question authority' remark resurfaces
)
Oil tanker explodes in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a naval mine
)
ChatGPT invoked God, told pastor not to worry about his symptoms. Then pulmonary embolism hit
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police blocks 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
)
Delhi Police issues BIG statement on viral 'don't leave national capital without permission' notice | FACT CHECK
)
'They’re afraid right now...': Netanyahu reacts for first time after Mamdani threatens arrest over ICC warrant
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
Google ends Play Services Support, likely to stop these Android phones from downloading apps & games
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 27-August 2, 2026): The Devil Wears Prada 2, Batman, Demon Slayer- 5 titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Will Iran war last months or even years? Here's what new poll shows about what most Americans think
)
US says Turkey still barred from F-35 program until it gives up Russian S-400 system: Report
)
Spain: Fresh wildfires break out in Valencia
)
Bihar wants 'backless Saturday’ in govt schools as official notice misspells 'bagless'
)
'Broader struggle for democracy...': Greta Thunberg joins Indian students protest in London - What she said
)
'We didn't stop them...: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's first reaction on student protests
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
)
What does the Gen Z protest and Pradhan's resignation as education minister mean for India's ruling BJP, and four other questions, answered
)
What we know about Seattle mass shooting: 3 dead, suspect arrested and one at large
)
India's foreign ministry debunks viral claim made during last week's protests
A marine engineer with nearly 20 years of experience, Suresh is survived by his wife, two sons, parents and a sister. He had spent around 12 years with the same company and was serving as Chief Engineer at the time of the incident. According to his family, he had already received his relieving letter and was awaiting a replacement before returning home after nearly five months at sea.
Bhargavi said Suresh had initially joined the vessel for a short 10-day assignment but remained onboard because of his expertise. She was informed that he had gone to inspect a reported generator issue when the US strike occurred and was directly hit.
The family has appealed for assistance in obtaining official information, recovering his mortal remains and expediting repatriation procedures. Authorities, including the Indian Embassy in Oman and Andhra Pradesh Bhavan officials, are coordinating efforts to support the bereaved family.
