Golden Globe Race Commander Abhilash Tomy, who was traced by an Indian Navy Reconnaissance aircraft, was rescued by French vessel Osiris on Monday, the Indian Navy announced. Tomy will now be picked up by Australian Naval ship HMAS Ballarat, which has left Perth to rescue him. INS Satpura will arrive at Tomy’s current location by Friday, the Navy added.
Tomy was dismasted and had suffered a back injury in extremely rough weather and sea condition, with wind speeds clocking at 130 kmph and waves rising 10 metre high, off Perth on Friday. The 39-year-old Indian Golden Globe Race skipper, who is serving as Indian Naval Officer, is in the southern Indian Ocean, approximately 1,900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted, “Spoke to VCNS VAdm Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM regarding the condition of injured navy officer @abhilashtomy. The Rescue Mission is being coordinated with the Australian Navy. The injured officer shall be picked up in the next 16 hrs by a French vessel Osiris.”
Read | Global Race Commander Abhilash Tomy likely safe; Indian Navy and Australia coordinating rescue
Video and Images of Abhilash Tomy's vessel which was dismasted due to rough sea conditions
President Kovind expressed relief and also praised French and Australian maritime effort
President Ram Nath Kovind not only expressed relief on the rescue operation of Abhilash Tomy but also, appreciated Australian and French efforts in the operation. He also wished the Commander speedy recovery.
Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Jaiveer Shergill congratulated the rescue team
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman conveyed relief after Commander Tomy's rescue
Watch video | First visuals of Indian Naval Commander Abhilash Tony’s boat
Tomy rescued conscious, is talking: GGR 2018
Commander Tomy in safe hands: Navy Spokesperson
Gregor McGuckin also asks for evacuation
Gregor McGuckin, who was closing in on Tomy, also asked for a 'CONTROLED EVACUATION' of himself. He was NOT in distress but felt it was the responsible option to take now that all rescue assets are close at hand.
Tomy rescued in conscious state
Golden Globe Race Commander Abhilash Tomy has been rescued in a conscious state and shifted to French fishing vessel Osiris.
Commander Tomy rescued: Indian Navy sppokesperson
Thuriya is a replica of 1968 winner's sailboat
Tomy’s ‘Thuriya’ is a replica of 1968 winner Robin Knox-Johnston’s 32-foot wooden sailboat. The only boats allowed in the competition are of traditional construction, with no modern, faster designs.
Thuriya was dismasted in extreme weather conditions
Commander Tomy’s boat Thuriya was dismasted in extremely rough weather and sea conditions, amidst wind speeds of 130 kmph and 10-metre-high waves. The Kirti Chakra awardee was in the third position in the race with 11 international participants, having sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since setting off from Les Sables-d’Olonne in France.
Commander Tomy to be rescued in a few hours: Indian Navy spokesperson
'No GPS, electronic watches, electronic compass, electronic meter' permitted in GGR 2018
When interviewed last year, Tomy had particularly relished this aspect of the challenge, saying, “We won’t be allowed to use any new technology that has been developed since then. If it didn’t exist in 1968, we can’t use it. So that means no GPS, electronic watches, electronic compass, electronic meter. We are permitted to use LED lights, a few solar panels and wind generators.”
This year's GGR being attempted under the same conditions as in 1968
The GGR is being organised to celebrate 50 years since the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, to complete an unassisted, solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world via the Great Capes. A key feature of the race is that circumnavigation is being attempted under the same conditions as the original 1968 around-the-world-yacht race.
Commander Tomy's previous achievements
On March 31, 2013, Tomy had become the first Indian to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world by boat, an around-the-world trip that began on November 1, 2012.
Another participant, Gregor McGuckin, to reach Tomy
The commander’s friends have been in touch with another participant, Gregor McGuckin, an Ireland national whose yacht Biscay 36 Hanley Energy Endurance was also dismasted in the same storm. He is expected to reach Tomy in the next 10 hours, sources said Sunday evening.
How the Indian Navy responded to the alert
The Indian Navy had dispatched the Indian Naval stealth frigate INS Satpura with Chetak helicopter and tanker INS Jyoti along with P-8i following the alert. The earliest that INS Satpura can arrive at the location would be Friday, the Navy spokesperson said.
The P-8i aircraft, which was launched from Port Louis in Mauritius, landed back after nine hours on Sunday having established visual contact with Thuriya, said a defence spokesperson. “Commander Tomy responded by ping on EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) as the aircraft was flying over him,” the spokesperson said.
Tomy sent the first distress messages on Saturday
Commander Abhilash Tomy sent distress messages from his vessel following the injury. The Australian Defence Force also joined the mission to rescue him. Tomy sent his first satellite text message on Saturday, saying, “ACTIVATED EPIRB. CANT WALK. MIGHT NEED STRETCHER”, GGR organisers said in a statement. A subsequent message read: “CAN MOVE TOES. FEEL NUMB. CAN’T EAT OR DRINK. TOUGH 2 REACH GRAB BAG”.
Tomy's latest satellite text message
Commander Tomy is the only Indian in the Golden Globe Race
The GGR is being organised to celebrate 50 years since the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, to complete an unassisted, solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world via the Great Capes. A key feature of the race is that circumnavigation is being attempted under the same conditions as the original 1968 around-the-world-yacht race.When interviewed last year, Tomy had particularly relished this aspect of the challenge, saying, “We won’t be allowed to use any new technology that has been developed since then. If it didn’t exist in 1968, we can’t use it. So that means no GPS, electronic watches, electronic compass, electronic meter. We are permitted to use LED lights, a few solar panels and wind generators.”
The only Indian in the Golden Globe Race
Tomy is the only Indian in the GGR, that involves a gruelling 30,000-miles solo circumnavigation of the globe in a yacht with no modern technology except communication equipment. Originally from Alappuzha, Tommy grew up in Naval bases around the country, since his father was in the Naval police.
Commander Tomy was in the third position in the race
The Kirti Chakra awardee was in the third position in the race with 11 international participants, having sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since setting off from Les Sables-d’Olonne in France.
Commander Tomy to be rescued today by French fisheries patrol
Stranded on the high seas, Indian Naval Commander Abhilash Tomy, who suffered a serious back injury while representing India in the international solo circumnavigation Golden Globe Race (GGR) 2018, will be picked up by the French fisheries patrol vessel Osiris in the next 16 hours, an Indian Navy spokesperson said Sunday evening. Read more
Visuals from Australian naval ship HMAS Ballarat
HMAS Ballarat is on its way assist an injured solo yachtsman, approximately 1800 nautical miles off the WA coast, the Royal Australian navy tweeted earlier.
Twitter/Australian_Navy
Continuous watch over the boat is being maintained: Indian Navy
Continuous watch over the boat is being maintained by Indian Navy and RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) aircraft till rescue is completed, the Indian navy said in a statement.
Officer would be rescued in the next 16 hours: Nirmala Sitharaman
Australian Rescue Coordination centre at Canberra coordinating the rescue mission
The Australian Rescue Coordination centre at Canberra is coordinating the rescue mission in conjunction with many agencies including the Australian Defence Department and the Indian Navy.