Commander Abhilash Tomy
Injured sailor Abhilash Tomy has been rescued by a French fisheries patrol vessel. Tomy, a 39-year-old Indian naval commander, was injured when his yacht Thuriya capsized and dismasted in a severe Southern ocean storm on Day 82 of the Golden Globe Race.
Osiris, a French fisheries vessel reached Tomy’s dismissed boat today at 5:30 UTC. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Canberra which co-ordinated the rescue reported: “Tomy is conscious, talking and onboard the Orisis. Australian and Indian long-range P8 Orion reconnaissance aircraft are circling overhead. Thuriya’s position is 39 32.79S and 78 3.29E
After the dismasting, Commander Tomy texted, ROLLED. DISMASTED. SEVERE BACK INJURY. CANNOT GET BACK UP. He later messaged: ACTIVATED EPIRB. CAN’T WALK. MIGHT NEED STRETCHER, and later, FEEL NUMB. CAN’T EAT OR DRINK.
The Golden Globe Race had issued a Code Red alert, requesting other boats in the area to assist Commander Tomy. Unfortunately, the closest boat in the race was Irishman’s Gregor McGuckin’s yacht Hanley Energy Endurance, which was also dismasted in the same storm.
Thuriya was dismasted about 1,900 miles southwest of Perth, Australia “at the extreme limit of immediate rescue range” according to the race organization. In addition to dismasting McGuckin’s and Tomy’s boats, the storm which was reported to pack 80 mph winds and 46-foot seas, also damaged Mark Slats‘ boat Ohopen Maverick.
Race organizers report that Gregor McGuckin, whose yacht Hanley Energy Endurance was also dismasted in the same storm last week, is making 2.2 knots towards Thuriya’s position, sailing under jury rig. The 32-year old Irishman is still 25 miles to the West and in radio contact with the reconnaissance aircraft. He is not in distress but has asked for a controlled evacuation from his yacht.
The Australian, Indian and French navies sent planes and vessels to assist. Australian authorities are sending an Anzac-class frigate, but it is expected to take four to five days to reach Tomy.
Commander Tomy’s yacht Thuriya is a replica of the boat which won the original race fifty years ago—Suhaili –under the command of (Sir) Robin Knox-Johnston.
Thanks to Alaric Bond and David Rye for contributing to this post.
If you listen to Abhilash’s prior conversation with Australian weather station he was told that the gale would be nothing that he couldn’t handle.
Now he is safe we can joke about it, I reckon the weather reporter is related to Michael Fish who is famous in the UK for saying on television that there was not going to be a hurricane in southern England. Six hours later thousands of trees were flattened and mayhem ensued.