Your Husband/Son is on a Ship Near Iran. Here Is Exactly What to Do.

The call you dread comes at 2 AM. Or it does not come, and the silence is worse.

Your husband is a Chief Officer on a container vessel transiting the Gulf of Oman. Your son just started his second voyage as a junior engineer. You have seen the news. Ships being hit by drones. Fires onboard. Three Indian seafarers dead since February.

You are scared, you do not know exactly where the ship is, and you do not know who to call.

This guide is for you.

Step 1: Contact the Shipping Company Right Now

Every shipping company with vessels in the Gulf region is legally required, under DGS Circular 10 of 2026, to have a 24x7 emergency contact line accessible to seafarers’ families.

Call them. Not their regular office number. Their emergency line. If you do not have it:

• Check your family member’s employment contract or sign-on documents — the company’s contact details should be there
• Search the company name + “crew department” or “crew emergency” online
• If the company is based in India, their RPSL registration requires a functional contact number

When you call, ask for:

1. Current vessel position (approximate area)
2. Last known communication with your family member
3. The name of the crew department contact person handling Gulf vessels

Step 2: Know Your Rights

Under MLC 2006 (Maritime Labour Convention), which India has ratified, seafarers have the right to:

• Safe working conditions
• Emergency communication with family
• Medical care and repatriation in emergencies

Under the current DGS directives, shipping companies are required to provide psychological counselling to seafarers AND their families. This is not optional. If the company refuses to provide this, it is a violation of the DGS circular.

Step 3: DGS Escalation

If the shipping company is unresponsive or unhelpful:

DGS 24x7 Helpline: 9004048406 Email: support.dgs@gov.in

DGS’s Grievance Redressal System (24x7) handles queries from active and retired seafarers, their families, and RPSL agencies.

The DGS has activated a dedicated Quick Response Team (QRT) specifically for the Gulf crisis. They are monitoring Indian-flagged vessels through the MMDAC DGComm Centre with increased reporting frequency.

Step 4: Mental Health Support

This situation is traumatic. For you and for your family member onboard.

For the seafarer: They are operating in a high-stress, high-alert environment. ISPS watch schedules are extended. The mental load of knowing their family is worried, while also doing their job professionally, is enormous.

For the family: The combination of distance, danger, and communication uncertainty is one of the most psychologically difficult situations a family faces.

You do not have to process this alone. Reach out to:

• SailorGPT at sailorsuccess.online/sailorgpt — available 24x7 for support and guidance
• ISWAN (International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network) — international support helpline
• DGS Grievance Redressal at 9004048406

What Your Family Member Can Do If They Feel Unsafe

This is for the seafarers themselves:

1. Know your ship’s position — not general area, actual coordinates if possible
2. Keep company emergency line saved — call immediately if any incident is observed
3. ISPS Code compliance — follow all security protocols, no exceptions
4. Limit shore visits — in Iranian ports especially, do not go ashore unless operationally necessary
5. Register with Indian Embassy — if in an Iranian port, register with the Embassy of India in Tehran. This creates an official record of your presence
6. Right to refuse — if you genuinely believe a voyage leg is unsafe, MLC 2006 provides a framework. Document everything in the log and contact DGS

You matter more than the cargo. Know it. Act like it.