BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A Bakersfield native says he is stranded in Qatar as fighting between the United States and Iran escalates, with missiles exploding near the industrial camp where he is staying.
Sean Starkey, a nationally certified crane inspector, traveled to Qatar for a routine safety audit for Qatar Energy. He had been there about five weeks and was only days away from leaving when the conflict began. Now, with the airspace closed and flights gone, Starkey says he and two other Americans are the only U.S. citizens at the camp in Ras Laffan Industrial City, where they have been told to shelter in place.
"We didn't get to go to sleep until 2 in the morning the night before because of the bomb that was intercepted in our area. It shook our building and woke us up," Starkey said.
Born and raised in Bakersfield, Starkey later moved to Texas at 32 for work. He says the war between the U.S. and Iran has left him stranded with no clear way out.
"We're terrified, it's not good. I don't know if they are targeting civilian areas or our plant, or what it is, but there has been so many missile strikes, not strikes but interceptions, that I can't even keep track of them. So it's a nightmare, it's like I'm living in a nightmare, you know," Starkey said.
Starkey says he and the other Americans have exhausted every option trying to get help.
"We've had no help from the government. We've tried everything. We reached out to private contractors, we reached out to friends of family, we reached out to the STEPS Program. We tried calling the consulate, we tried calling the consulate, tried calling the embassy, we've tried everything and in their own polite words they have basically told us that we're on our own," Starkey said.
He says the danger appears to be growing closer.
"A drone was intercepted above the Samsun camp that's close to us. So, it seems like the strikes keep getting closer and closer to where we're at," Starkey said.
Back home in the U.S., Starkey has a wife and two children. He says he has been trying to shield them from the full reality of the situation.
"I'm trying to shelter them from what's happening with me. But I have a ten-year-old son, Lyric, and a 12-year-old daughter, Jordan, and my wife Jennifer. And she's worried sick, which I expected, and yeah, it's just a really scary situation overall," Starkey said.
Starkey and the other Americans are now considering a risky option — attempting to reach Saudi Arabia, where flights may still be operating. But leaving the camp would mean leaving behind their food, shelter, and safety.
"We need to be rescued. The biggest problem that we're running into is that no one can give us any type of plan to get out of here. We're too close to Iran, we're too close to the bombings, we're just trying to get as far away from here as we can," Starkey said.
Starkey says they have packed light and are ready to leave at any moment if someone can get them out. For now, he says they are waiting and hoping someone hears their plea.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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