Missing Mumbai sailor Russel Rebello's family finds closure at last

For close to three years Naigaonrsquos Rebello family had been unable to even grieve in peace for 32yearold Russel Rebello who was aboard the Costa Concordia cruise liner that ran aground off the Tuscan coast in January 2012 But on Monday the body of the last lsquomissingrsquo victim of the tragedy was found giving the family a measure of reprieveAlso read I dont want to lose my son says Russel Rebellos motherRusselrsquos mother Gladys said she was grateful to God that she could finally pray for her sonrsquos soulKevin Rebello 40 Russelrsquos elder brother said the development came 1025 days 2 years 9 months and 21 days after the disaster The body was found on the eighth deck of the ship lodged underneath some furniture clad in jeans tshirt white socks and tennis shoes An ID card in the pocket of the denims helped rescuers identify himSea of trouble Kevin brother of Russel Rebello looks on at the stricken ship in Giglio Porto Italy in March 2012 and above holds a pic of his brother File picsGetty ImagesItalySpeaking to midday from Milan Italy Kevin said ldquoI was in a client meeting around 1230 pm Italian time when I saw a missed call from the Civil Protection Office Ministry of Internal Affairs ItalyAlso read 100 days later I have nothing for my mom says Russel Rebellos brotherKevin Rebello shows a picture of his brother on January 19 2012 on the Isola del Giglio where the cruise liner Costa Concordia went aground File picGettyImagesldquoI called back and the officer on the other side said lsquoKevin we have good news for you Finally in one of the cabins they search team have located a body under some furniture We are very sure it is Russelrsquos and are waiting for the military police to come and take overrsquoAt rest at last A file photo of the Rebello family shows Russelrsquos parents Frank and Gladys and wife Vilma at their residenceldquoMy legs started trembling and for a moment I was in a state of shock But somehow I controlled my emotions and decided not to utter even a word or react before the clients Once they left I broke down I am anxious to get my brother back home in India for his last rites It has been a threeyearlong waitrdquoAlso read One year later hope sinks for sailor Russel Rebellos familyThe officer described the clothes and ID card found on the body and the description matched the details Kevin had furnished to the search team after the 2012 incidentKevin said he had no clue about the condition of the body other than the fact that it was found to be intact unlike that of the missing Italian passenger Maria Grazia Trecarichim whose body was found in parts in July 2013The military police have moved the body from the ship to St Martin Medical Institute in Genoa and after legal formalities it would be transported to the military hospital in Rome where the autopsy and DNA tests would be done Kevinrsquos DNA sample is already with the forensics experts so they can match it with that extracted from the body to conclude if it is Russelrsquos ldquoRussel was the only one of the illstarred passengers missing till now They have found his ID card though the DNA results are not out I will be going to Rome which is 400 km from Milan as the authorities there have called me to complete the documentationrdquo Kevin saidAlso read Russels shoes help Rebellos find closureldquoI had almost accepted that the whole ocean anywhere in the world was part of Russelrsquos tomb but this illusion has now changed thanks to the search team that helped me come to grips with realityrdquo said KevinldquoHad it not been for the support and prayers from people across the world on social media who were just aliens to me my family and Russel it would have been impossible to find Russelrsquos remains The incident has transformed me as a person Even today I feel tremors beneath my legs when I recall those days I had spent on the island as families were frantically waiting to hear news of their missing loved ones on board the shiprdquoAsked if the cruise ship has given any compensation to the family Kevin said ldquoThose things will happen now as the body has been found But honestly I havenrsquot bothered to make any inquiry on that front as my priority was to get my brother home to IndiardquoKevin has broken the news to his parents Gladys 66 and Frank 72 ldquoMy parents usually got any news about Russel through the media first but this time I broke it to them I am hopeful that in the next three or four weeks all legal formalities will be completed and I will be able take my brother homerdquo he saidMumbaiBack at home ever since they learnt that their sonrsquos body has been found Frank and Gladys are inconsolableldquoI had been asking God where my Russel was since the day of the incident and it took Him three years to answer my prayers I am at peace now I have lost my son and that is a fact We have to live with this truth for the rest of our lives I am thankful to God that I can at least lay my son to rest and pray for his soul which I could not do until nowrdquo Gladys told middayAlso read The Rebello family survives on unsinkable hopeShe added ldquoKevin had spoken to me on Monday evening and told me that Russelrsquos body had been found and the DNA reports are awaited I do not know anything more I am waiting for him to give me an updaterdquoBangaloreVikram Pinto Russelrsquos brotherinlaw who is in Bangalore with Russelrsquos wife Vilma 32 and child Rhys 6 said ldquoI received a phone call from Kevin on Monday evening and he informed us of the latest update on Russel I will return shortly to Mumbai with my sister and nephew Our prayers are heard and we hope we can lay Russell to rest at lastrdquo