Lieutenant Commander Abhilash Tomy is a ‘Kirti Chakra’ awardee aviator in the Indian Navy who is severely injured and currently stranded on his damaged boat nearly 1,900 nautical miles off the Western Australian coast.
Cdr Tomy is competing in the Golden Globe Race - a solo voyage to circumnavigate the globe – which began in France on 1st July. He is believed to have suffered a serious back injury after his boat was rolled and demasted in a storm with winds of 70 nautical miles and sea swell exceeding 15 meters.
The 39-year-old used his satellite phone to report his injury: "ACTIVATED EPIRB. CANT WALK. MIGHT NEED STRETCHER.”
According to the race organisers, Cdr Tomy can’t move out of his bunk and is immobile.
His latest message was sent on Sunday at 6:26 pm: "Swallow can of ICE TEA. I have that. Vomi the content. Breast burning”.
A Code Red operation is underway with the Australian Defence Force also joining the urgent search operation, pressing the HMAS Ballarat into the mission to locate the injured sailor.
The Indian Navy’s long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, Poseidon 8i, launched to find Cdr Tomy’s boat- Thuriya - and managed to get make visual contact with the boat. It also reported that the boat is amid 10-12 feet high waves and heavy rain in the Indian Ocean.
Golden Globe Race (GGR) organisers said Cdr Tomy also reported via his satellite phone that he heard the Indian Naval aircraft fly by.
The Indian military officer was third in the race at the time when the storm struck, with fellow Irishman Gregor McGuckin in fourth place. Race organisers said Mr McGuckin’s boat was also damaged in the storm but he suffered only minor injuries.
He is also trying to reach Cdr Tomy with his boat but due to the adverse weather conditions, he is only able to go at a speed of 3 nautical miles.
A French patrol boat with medical assistance on board is south-south-west of Cdr Tomy’s boat. The GGR said the vessel is experiencing adverse weather conditions and is only travelling at around 4.1 knots and is expected to reach in the area around 10 pm Monday.
A Royal Australian Air Force P8 aircraft has also joined the search coordinated by the Australian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra. The Indian Navy has also pressed two of its frigates in the operation.
“Vicious” but short and sweet
Just a day before Cdr Tomy suffered the injury, the race coordinator cautioned him about the weather system developing in the area.
“It’s going to be vicious but it will be short and sweet,” the coordinator told Cdr Tomy adding that the winds could reach up to 50 nautical miles.
The Golden Globe Race recreates the historic solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in 1968-69.
Race participants use similar yachts as the one used in the race by Sir Robin which don't have modern navigation and communication technology.
Cdr Tomy was awarded the ‘Kirti Chakra’ a peace-time Indian military honour for bravery, valour and self-sacrifice.
He is an experienced sailor having completed a non-stop round the world voyage in 2012-13.
He is also a recipient of Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award and MacGregor Medal.
