Yachtsman stranded at sea rescued
Injured Indian sailor plucked to safety after an international search effort
NEW DELHI: A solo Indian sailor adrift at sea thousands of kilometres from dry land with a serious back injury was safely rescued from his stricken yacht Monday after an international search effort.
Abhilash Tomy, a competitor in the Golden Globe round- theworld race, was badly injured during a storm that damaged his vessel and put its mast out of action on Friday as he sailed through a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean.
Adrift some 3,500 kilometres from western Australia, the 39year- old navy commander had been confined to his bunk and unable to move.
But Indian and Australian officials said a French fisheries patrol vessel involved in the international rescue mission had recovered the sailor “in a stable condition”.
“A sense of relief to know that naval officer @ abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He’s conscious and doing okay,” Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman posted on Twitter.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority ( AMSA) said Tomy would be transferred to a nearby Indian Ocean island, Ile Amsterdam, for medical treatment.
An Indian naval ship would later transfer Tomy to Mauritus, according to Sitharaman.
Rescuers had been unable to make direct contact with Tomy as his main satellite phone was damaged, and his injury meant he was unable to reach a second satellite phone or his handheld VHF radio.
A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He’s conscious and doing okay.
Two P8 Poseidons – one from the Royal Australian Air Force and another from the Indian Armed Forces – f lew over the yacht Sunday.
Fears had been growing for Tomy’s safety as conditions in the isolated region can be treacherous, with strong winds and high waves buffeting the yacht and rescue vessels.
AMSA search and rescue mission coordinator Phil Gaden said the yacht was dismasted and damaged in Friday’s squall, with equipment hanging over the side.
Though upright and adrift, he said the vessel was at the mercy of the sea and waves and could be compromised at any moment.
As the days wore by, his family grew increasingly concerned for the experienced yachtsman.
“Abhilash has done long voyages before, but we remained in touch through satellite phones and internet chats,” his wife Urmi told the Indian newspaper Business Standard before his rescue.
“The separation on this voyage has been tough. But all that matters now is to rescue him unharmed.”
The Golden Globe Race involves a gruelling 30,000mile solo circumnavigation of the globe in yachts similar to those used in the first race 50 years ago, with no modern technology allowed except the communications equipment.
Tomy’s own yacht is a replica of Robin Knox- Johnston’s Suhaili, winner of the first Golden Globe Race.
He also helped train the allwoman crew of the Indian Navy’s sailing vessel Tarini, which created history by circumnavigating the globe in a gruelling 254- day voyage.
“He has been an inspiration and hope for millions of Indians who dream big and want to achieve their goals,” Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, one of the Tarini’s crew, told the Hindustan Times newspaper. — AFP
Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian Defence Minister