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Rescuers say aid should reach an injured Indian sailor stuck in distant waters off the west coast of Australia.
Key points:
- Abhilash Tomy is feared to have suffered a spinal injury when he hit the bad weather
- He should be taken to an island halfway between Madagascar and Australia
- Rescue operation will take several days, according to maritime authorities
The solo skipper Abhilash Tomy, an officer in the Indian Navy, was competing around the world at the Golden Globe when his ship Thuriya, 10 meters, encountered difficulties Friday in the southwestern Indian Ocean.
Tomy's yacht mast broke during a storm and he was reported to have suffered a serious back injury, leaving him confined to his bunk at about 1800 nautical miles (3,300 kilometers) southwest of Perth.
Australian Aviation Safety Authority (AMSA) Search and Rescue Officer Alan Lloyd said the information available about Tomy's condition was still limited, but that help was getting closer.
"The French research ship Osiris will arrive at the place of Tomy's ship in the afternoon of Canberra, probably around 2 pm, Western Australia time," he added.
Mr. Lloyd said the area could be "dangerous" in bad weather and was known to cause damage to ships similar to those of Tomy's yacht.
"This [French] the ship is actually built for this purpose to work in the Southern Ocean and the conditions you encounter there, "he said.
"The crew is very familiar with the territory and, in fact, we have used the same ship on other occasions, while we were to provide assistance to the distressed navigator in those areas."
Race organizers said Tomy sent another satellite text message on Sunday.
"BOTTLES OF ICE TEA BOTTLE, HAVING THAT VOMPER CONTINUOUSLY, BURNING CHEST," he said.
He had sent a message a day earlier, saying, "EPIRB ACTIVATED, CANT WALK, COULD NEED CIVIÈRE".
A following message was written: "CAN MOVE WORKS, FEEL NUMB, CAN NOT EAT OR DRINK TOUGH 2 REACH GRAB BAG".
The rescue operation will take several days
Mr. Lloyd stated that Tomy had suffered a spinal injury and that his activity aboard his ship had been minimal, but stated that this would be assessed upon the arrival of the Osiris.
Photo:
Tomy was the first Indian to go around the world, says his website. (Facebook: Abhilash Tomy)
"Then we have to do a medical assessment of Tomy … based on that medical assessment, we'll take it off the yacht or tow the yacht, probably to Amsterdam Island, about 180 kilometers away," he said. declared.
"Then we can get additional medical assistance from a doctor who is at the research station."
The Amsterdam Island, also known as Amsterdam Island, is a small French territory located in the south of the Indian Ocean, halfway between Madagascar and Australia.
Mr Lloyd said the plans meant that the rescue operation would take several days, with HMAS Ballarat en route to the area but should not arrive until Wednesday.
Tomy became the first Indian to circumnavigate the world when he achieved the feat in 2013, says his website.
He was in third place in the Golden Globe Race when the storm hit.
Topics:
maritime,
disasters and accidents,
emergency incidents,
sail,
sport,
perth-6000,
Washington,
Australia
