FIRST INDIAN TO CIRCUMVENT GLOBE STRANDED ON INDIAN OCEAN FOR 2 DAYS, FINALLY RESCUED

Indian Navy officer Abhilash Tomy was stranded on the Indian Ocean on Saturday while taking part in the Golden Globe Race - one of the toughest races on Earth. Tomy's vessel, Thuriya hit a storm mid-way during the race and lost its mast.

The boat rolled in the storm due to the immense wind speeds of 130 km and 10-metre-high waves. Tomy reportedly suffered a serious back injury. The 39-year-old Kirti Chakra awardee sent messages to the boat race organisers to constantly keep in touch. The first satellite text message he sent was: "ACTIVATED EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon). CANT WALK. MIGHT NEED STRETCHER."

On Monday afternoon, the French vessel, Osiris rescued Tomy from his location. Tomy will reportedly be brought on board the Australian Naval Ship HMAS Ballarat and shifted to Amsterdam by evening. According to Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Tomy is conscious and doing okay.

Tomy was the first ever Indian to circumnavigate the globe in 2013. He was also the only Indian to participate in the Golden Globe Race, a tough race that involves a gruelling 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe. Reportedly, Tomy was in the third position and had sailed over 10,500 nautical miles since the race started on July 1.

A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention. @PIB_India

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) September 24, 2018