Indian Naval Officer Commander Abhilash Tomy

The 39-year-old Indian Golden Globe Race skipper Tomy, who is serving as Indian Naval Flying Officer, is in the south Indian Ocean, approximately 1900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia

Search and rescue operations by Indian Navy as well as the Australian Defence Forces are underway to find Golden Globe Race Commander Abhilash Tomy, who was dismasted and suffered a back injury in extremely rough weather and sea condition, with wind speeds of 130 kmph and 10 metre high waves, off Perth Friday.

While Indian Navy stealth frigate INS Satpura, operating in the Indian Ocean, has been diverted for 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. “Indian Navy stealth frigate INS Satpura, mission deployed in Southern Indian Ocean diverted for the rescue mission. All efforts by Indian Navy to get in touch with Cdr Abhilash Tomy SC are on. We are in contact with MRCC Australia and have diverted our ships too,” Indian Navy spokesperson said in a tweet.

Indian Navy stealth frigate INS Satpura

Tomy is expected to be safe, according to Indian Navy.

Tomy is representing India in the Golden Globe Race 2018 (GGR) on an indigenously built sailing vessel ‘Thuriya’. He was on the third position, out of the 18 international participants, and has sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since the commencement of the race on July 1, 2018.

According to the report issued from the Les Sables d’Olonne, France, the 70 knot winds and 14 metre high seas left the yachts of Indian Navy’s Abhilash Tomy and Ireland’s Gregor McGuckin dismasted. McGuckin reported that he was okay, but Tomy got injured.

“A CODE RED ALERT was issued after Race HQ received his message at 12:09 UTC today: ROLLED. DISMASTED. SEVERE BACK INJURY. CANNOT GET UP,” the report said.

Tomy, who became the first Indian to have circumnavigated the globe in 2013, is the only Indian participating in the Golden Globe Race that involves a gruelling 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe. The adventurous event began in July this year from France.