Navy Officer Commander Abhilash Tomy who was injured after his boat wrecked in a massive storm in the South of Indian Ocean was rescued on Monday by a French naval vessel.
ALSO READ: Kerala nun rape case: Bishop Mulakkal sent to judicial custody
Nirmala Sitharaman posted about the same saying that Tomy is doing okay now.
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
The whole operation was being directed by an Indian Navy P-8 aircraft which was flying overhead.
“We are expecting an Australian frigate to reach the Osiris soon and Tomy will be shifted to it. We will decide if we have to take him to Perth or Chennai,” Navy spokesperson Captain DK Sharma said.
Tomy in his last text message had indicated that he was safe but immobile due to back injury and did not communicate as his marine VHF radio batteries were dead. The 39-year-old suffered back (spinal) injury and was trapped in his bunk.
ALSO READ: Heavy rains, landslides in Himachal Pradesh; yellow alert in some areas…
Tomy became the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe onboard his boat Mhadei – solo, non-stop and unassisted – in 2013. He was awarded India’s second-highest peace-time gallantry award, Kirti Chakra, for the feat.