Injured navy officer Abhilash Tomy rescued LATEST updates: "They have Tomy on board and he is conscious and talking. FANTASTIC NEWS. WELL DONE ALL INVOLVED!" the GGR 2018 official Twitter handle tweeted. Indian Navy Spokesperson Captain DK Sharma confirmed Tomy's rescue and assured that he was in safe hands.
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that rescued navy officer Abhilash Tomy will be taken to Mauritius for medical attention. "He's concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening," Sitharaman tweeted.
The French vessel Osiris has successfully rescued stranded Commander Abhilash Tomy from his yacht Thuriya. Speaking to reporters, his father said that the officer was tired and dehydrated but conscious.
Tomy's boat, the Thuriya, is a replica of Robin Knox-Johnston's 'Suhaili', which was the winner of the first Golden Globe Race in 1968. Friday's storm, which damaged the vessel, whipped up 70-knot winds and 14-metre (45ft) waves, and also knocked down the yacht of another competitor, Dutchman Mark Slats, twice, BBC reported. Most of the 11 competitors, who are still in the race, were further north and thus avoided the worst of the storm, organisers said.
Rescue teams from various nations, including India, had raced towards Tomy, but the French fishing vessel Osiris reached him first. A doctor and a stretcher are on board the vessel. Earlier, Indian Navy spokesperson Captain DK Sharma told the BBC that the plan was to transfer Tomy to an Australian naval ship which sailed from Perth to the location on Sunday morning.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had tweeted Sunday that Commander Tomy shall be picked up in the next 16 hours by the French vessel. The Australian authorities said there were concerns because Tomy had suffered a spinal injury and his activity on board his vessel had been minimal, but they added that situation would be assessed when the Osiris arrived.

Abhilash Tomy's damaged yatch stranded in Indian Ocean. Image courtesy: Twitter/ @indiannavy
"We then have to undertake a medical assessment of Tomy... depending upon that medical assessment, we will either remove him from the yacht or tow the yacht, most likely to Amsterdam which is about 180 kilometres away. Then we can get further medical assistance from a doctor who is at the research station there," he said.
According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's search and rescue manager Alan Lloyd, the specialised vessel Osiris was to arrive in the location of Tomy's vessel at approximately mid-afternoon Canberra time on Monday.
Commander Abhilash Tomy, who was traced by an Indian Navy Reconnaissance aircraft, will be rescued by French vessel Osiris on Monday, the Indian Navy announced. Tomy is a participant in the Golden Globe Race, who will then be picked up by Australian Naval ship HMAS Ballarat, which has already left Perth to rescue him. INS Satpura will arrive at Tomy’s current location by Friday, the Navy added.
According to latest reports, French vessel Osiris is expected on scene any time now to rescue stranded commander Abhilash Tomy. Journalist Shiv Aroor, who has been live tweeting the developments said, "Wave heights of 5-8 metres being experienced in the area right now."
A multinational rescue effort is underway to save stranded and injured sailor Abhilash Tomy whose yacht lies incapacitated in the South Indian Ocean.A 39-year-old Indian naval commander, Tomy was competing in the 2018 Golden Globe Race when his boat hit a storm.
In its efforts to rescue Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, who currently lies injured in his sailing vessel in the south of Indian Ocean, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the officer would be rescued French vessel Osiris in the next 16 hours.
Tomy, representing India in the Golden Globe Race 2018 (GGR) on an indigenously built sailing vessel 'Thuriya', was dismasted and suffered a back injury on Friday.
He is in the south Indian Ocean, approximately 1900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia and about 2700 nautical miles from Cape Comorin.
All out efforts are being made to rescue Tomy and the Australian Rescue Coordination Centre at Canberra is coordinating the rescue mission in conjunction with many agencies including the Australian Defence Department and the Indian Navy, the Navy said in a statement.
"Spoke to VCNS VAdm Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM regarding the condition of injured navy officer @abhilashtomy. The Rescue Mission is being coordinated with the Australian Navy.The injured officer shall be picked up in the next 16 hrs by a French vessel Osiris," the defence minister tweeted.
The Navy said its P-8I aircraft has sighted the SV Thuriya at 7.50 am on Sunday.
The Indian Navy sources said the capability of the P8i has been a "humongous force multiplier" who has given it and the Australian MRCC a huge input into the state of Thuriya for planning purposes.
An Indian Naval defence attache' in Australia is camping in regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), the navy sources said.
"Continuous watch over the boat is being maintained by Indian Navy and RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) aircraft till rescue is completed.
"Indian Naval stealth frigate, INS Satpura with a Chetak Helicopter and tanker INS Jyoti operating in the Indian Ocean have been dispatched for the rescue mission. The officer in his last text message has indicated that he is safe on the boat; however is immobile due to back injury," the statement added.