Navy officer Abhilash Tomy, who was stranded in the Indian Ocean near Australia from past four days after a deadly storm hit his solo boat, was rescued by a French naval vessel on Monday.
Commander Tomy, suffered a spinal injury, is conscious, relieved and has been shifted to the French fishing vessel Osiris, said Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
“A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He’s concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I’lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention. @PIB_India,” Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted.
Tomy’s vessel was hit by a vicious storm mid-way across the south Indian Ocean while taking part in the Golden Globe Race (GGR) 2018 on Friday, among the toughest races on Earth but his one-man sail boat, the Thuriya lost its mast after being caught in the storm that whipped up 10-metre high waves.
The 39-year-old also suffered a back injury that left him immobilised.
An Indian Navy P-8 reconnaissance aircraft on Sunday managed to spot Commander Tomy’s boat located approximately 5,020 km due south from Kanyakumari.
Tomy in his text message had indicated that he was safe but immobile due to back injury.
Commander Abhilash Tomy was the only Indian participating in the race that involves a gruelling 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe.
