An Indian Navy officer who has circumnavigated the world has been injured after his yacht was hit by a vicious storm in the ongoing Golden Globe circumnavigation race in the South Indian Ocean, race organisers said late on Friday. Tomy's Twitter handle tweeted on Saturday that he is safe.
In 2013, Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Indian Navy became the first Indian to have circumnavigated the globe. Tomy is also the only Indian participating in the gruelling Golden Globe Race that involves a 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe.
After some media reports late on Friday night claimed Tomy was missing after being injured, his Twitter handle informed on Saturday that he sustained serious back injuries but was safe. The handle tweeted, “Abhilash has sustained some serious back injuries, however he says he's safe inside the boat. Indian Navy is doing their best as they always have. His tracker is working. He has activated the EPIRB. Help is on its way.”
EPIRB stands for emergency position-indicating radio beacon and is a device used to alert search and rescue personnel to a stricken vessel's location.
The yachts of Tomy and Ireland's Gregory McGuckin were dismasted by 70-knot winds and 14m-high seas. Race organisers had informed earlier that other participants had been asked to move towards Tomy's position.
Both Tomy and McGuckin are some 1,900 miles west of Cape Leeuwin, West Australia, the race organisers said. McGuckin, whose yacht is believed to be nearest to Tomy's vessel, had informed organisers that he had sufficient fuel to move towards the Indian Navy officer's location if conditions improved.
Since Tomy commenced his latest circumnavigation effort, his Twitter handle has been posting routine updates about his adventure and experiences.
(With PTI inputs)
