Indian Officer Missing After US Shore Leave

An Indian Merchant Navy officer from Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, has been reported missing in the United States after not returning to his ship following shore leave in Pennsylvania on May 6.

Manish Dwivedi, who works as a second officer for Western Shipping Company aboard the Singapore-flagged vessel Sifnos Lady, was last seen while the ship was docked at Marcus Hook Port near Philadelphia.

According to his family, Dwivedi went ashore with three fellow crew members on the evening of May 6 and travelled toward the Concord Mall Best Buy area. However, he did not return to the vessel afterward. Family members said they last spoke with him on May 6, after which all communication suddenly ceased.

Dwivedi’s father, Santosh Dwivedi, said the family was informed of the situation through a phone call from the shipping company’s Mumbai office. He also claimed the ship management company has not provided consistent or detailed updates regarding his son’s disappearance.

Concerned by the lack of information, the family met Union Minister and local Member of Parliament Anupriya Patel in Delhi on May 11 to raise the matter. Following the meeting, Patel wrote to India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on May 12, requesting urgent coordination with Indian diplomatic missions in the United States and local authorities to help locate the missing officer.

In her letter, Patel stated that the uncertainty surrounding Dwivedi’s safety had caused considerable distress to his family and urged immediate assistance through the Indian Embassy in the United States.

According to his father, ongoing efforts by crew members and authorities have so far failed to uncover any information about his whereabouts. It was also reported that the three crew members who went ashore with Dwivedi later returned to the vessel, while he did not. The ship subsequently continued its voyage.

As of now, no confirmed information has emerged regarding his whereabouts.