It has been six days since the family members of Saneesh Joseph, a resident of Eruvessi in Kannur district, have been anxiously waiting to hear anything about him.
Saneesh, a rigger employed with a Mumbai-based company, Mathew Associates, is one among the 26 people, who are still missing after the barge P-305 with 271 men onboard, sank off the Mumbai coast during Cyclone Tauktae.
“Since he was working in the rig, he hardly got time to make a call. The family last heard anything from him on May 15, which was his birthday,” said Aneesh Joseph, elder brother of Saneesh.
“Though he was busy with his work, we exchanged birthday greetings and he responded through a voice message by evening, said Mr. Aneesh.
Saneesh has been working with the company for the past eight years.
When the news of the cyclone sinking the barge broke, the relatives tried several times to reach him by sending messages. But they were not delivered. They could not contact him or anyone else in his office.
Mr. Aneesh said one of his friends, who was rescued by the Navy after he jumped along with Saneesh into the sea had said that Saneesh was swept away by huge waves. They had jumped into the sea after 8-metre-high waves hit the barge and it was about to sink.
Mr. Aneesh said that police, local MLAs and Ministers were trying to help them with getting some information about Saneesh.
Meanwhile, Kannur MP, K. Sudhakaran, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to help the family.