INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
New Delhi: Navy officer Abhilash Tomy, who is stranded in the Indian Ocean near Australia after being injured during a sailing race, will
soon be rescued, a top Navy officer said
A multinational operation is underway to rescue Commander Tomy, who suffered a spinal injury and is immobile
His communication devices are running out of charge and he is barely responding to texts."An Australian naval ship and a French fishing
ship are closest to Tomy's location
Some civilian and naval aircraft have also been mobilised
He is expected to be rescued soon," Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, told reporters.The
French vessel Osiris, which is said to be at an hour's distance from the naval officer, is facing hostile weather -- strong winds and
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority says that the mission is going to be a "difficult one". Progress is slow and steady.Irish sailor
Gregor McGuckin, whose boat was also badly damaged in the storm, is also not very far from the officer.Before the big evacuation, the French
ship plans to send inflatable boats to the officer with first aid kit and water. According to the latest update on the the Golden Globe
Race's website, Commander Tomy had iced tea, was vomiting and suffering from "chest burning".Commander Tomy's vessel was hit by a vicious
storm mid-way across the south Indian Ocean while taking part in the Golden Globe Race, which is among the toughest races on earth
His one-man sail boat, the Thuriya, lost its mast in an intense storm
The boat rolled completely in a storm on Friday with wind speeds of 130 km and 10-metre-high waves
The 39-year-old officer suffered a back injury and has been sporadically communicating through text messages.Yesterday, an Indian Navy P-8
reconnaissance aircraft managed to spot Commander Tomy's boat located approximately 5,020 km due south from Kanyakumari.At the moment, an
Indian Navy frigate and tanker, an Australian Navy frigate, a French fisheries vessel and the boat of another sailor participating in the
race are all attempting to reach him."Commander Tomy responded by ping on EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) as the aircraft
was flying over him," the Defence spokesperson said.His rescue is being monitored at Naval Headquarters in New Delhi and the Joint Rescue
Coordination Centre at Melbourne, Australia.The first Indian to circumnavigate the globe in 2013, Commander Tomy was the only Indian
participating in the race that involves a gruelling 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe
He was in third position in the race and has sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since the race started on July 1.
