NEW DELHI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Navy has dispatched its stealth frigate INS Satpura to rescue its naval officer Abhilash Tomy who was severely injured in his back and battling waves on a boat on the high seas in southern Indian Ocean, said official sources on Saturday.
A Chetak helicopter and tanker INS Jyoti have also been dispatched along with the stealth frigate on the rescue mission, they added.
Abhilash Tomy, aged 39, is a commander with the Indian Navy (IN) and is currently competing in the "2018 Golden Globe Race" which involves a grueling 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe.
Abhilash is one of India's prominent sailors and a recipient of the award "Kirti Chakra".
According to IN sources, Tomy's yacht was caught in extremely rough weather. He sent a distress signal on Friday evening conveying that the mast of his yacht had broken. He said that he had suffered a severe back injury and couldn't get up.
He is approximately 1,900 nautical miles away from Perth in Australia. IN spokesperson tweeted that INS Satpura has been diverted to rescue Tomy.
IN sources said that the Australian Rescue Coordination Centre at Canberra is coordinating the rescue mission in conjunction with many agencies including the Australian Defence Department, besides the Indian Navy.
Since commencement of the "2018 Golden Globe Race" on July 1, Tomy has so far sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days and was in third position out of the 11 international participants till he was injured.
In his last message via the satellite phone that he is using, Tomy has indicated that he is safe on the boat but immobile due to the back injury, said IN sources.
