Australia has joined rescuers from several nations trying to reach a seriously injured Indian sailor who is taking part in the Golden Globe round-the-world race.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is searching about 1,800 nautical miles off the Western Australia coast to find the naval officer who was competing in the Golden Globe Race.
Solo skipper Abhilash Tomy struck trouble on Saturday when his 10m-long vessel “Thuriya” demasted during extreme weather causing him a serious back injury, the ADF said on Sunday.
Organisers of the Golden Globe Race posted Tomy’s latest distress message on Sunday, in which the Indian sailor complained of vomiting and chest pain.
“ACTIVATED EPIRB. CANT WALK. MIGHT NEED STRETCHER,” Tomy said in his first satellite text message on Saturday.
A subsequent message read: “CAN MOVE TOES. FEEL NUMB. CAN’T EAT OR DRINK. TOUGH 2 REACH GRAB BAG.”
A French fisheries patrol vessel is sailing towards him and could arrive by Monday.
Two military planes, one from Australia and one from India, flew over the yacht on Sunday to inspect its condition, but crew were unable to establish contact with Tomy.
“He is injured inside the yacht so he can’t communicate further,” an Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokesman told AFP news agency.
The 39-year-old Indian Navy commander, who became the first Indian to sail around the world in 2013, is communicating using a texting unit, after his satellite phone was broken.
His boat is a replica of Robin Knox-Johnston’s Suhaili, winner of the first Golden Globe Race in 1968.
