A badly injured sailor who was left stranded in the Indian Ocean and could not eat or drink has been rescued, officials have said.
Yachtsman Abhilash Tomy, 39, became stuck after his 33ft boat, named Thuriya, was damaged in a storm some 3,200 off the coast of Western Australia on Friday.
Tomy, sailing alone, was taking part in the Golden Globe round-the-world race and had contacted organisers to inform them of a severe back injury which left him unable to move.
The Indian navy on Monday confirmed that he had been safely rescued, after French fishing vessel Osiris got to him first.
He will be taken to Amsterdam Island in the Indian Ocean for a medical check-up.
India’s Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, said he was “conscious and doing okay”.
She tweeted on Monday: “A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He’s conscious 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.”
The naval commander had sent a series of messages to race organisers informing them of his desperate situation over the weekend.
In his first message, he told them he could not move his toes, eat or drink.
Another message sent on Sunday informed them that he was “vomiting continuously” and that this chest was burning.
The decorated officer became the first Indian person to circumnavigate the globe solo and unassisted in 2013.
This year’s Golden Globe race began on July 1 from Les Sables-d’Olonne in Western France and was inspired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s first solo circumnavigation in 1968/9.
Competitors are limited to equipment similar to that used in the original race 50 years ago and are not permitted to use satellite-based navigation aids.