Injured Indian yachtsman plucked to safety

New Delhi : A solo Indian sailor adrift thousands of kilometres from dry land with a serious back injury was safely rescued from his stricken yacht yesterday after an international effort. Abhilash Tomy, a competitor in the Golden Globe round-the-world race, was badly injured during a storm that damaged his vessel and put its mast out of action in the Indian Ocean on Friday. Adrift some 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) from western Australia, the 39-year-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 found 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 French vessel Osiris reached Tomy’s yacht at 0530 GMT as Australian and Indian P8 Poseidon aircraft kept watch from above, race organisers said. The French crew boarded Tomy’s yacht Thuriya using inflatable boats and administered first aid. 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 Mauritius, 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. Fears had been growing for Tomy’s safety as conditions can be treacherous, with strong winds and high waves buffeting the yacht and rescue vessels.