Abhilash Tomy remembers Narendra Modi's phone call after his rescue from shipwreck, in heartfelt birthday wish to Indian PM
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Abhilash Tomy remembers Narendra Modi's phone call after his rescue from shipwreck, in heartfelt birthday wish to Indian PM")
Abhilash Tomy with Modi, and during a solo sail Photograph: (Others)
Commander Abhilash Tomy, shipwrecked in 2018 during the Golden Globe Race, was rescued after a severe spinal injury. The Indian Navy veteran got a call from none other than PM Narendra Modi when recuperating at hospital. Tomy recalled the incident while wishing Modi a happy birthday
Commander Abhilash Tomy, a retired Indian Navy officer and acclaimed sailor, was shipwrecked during the 2018 Golden Globe Race. He suffered severe spinal injuries and became trapped on his yacht in the southern Indian Ocean. The Indian Coast Guard and Navy quickly responded to the situation. After a tense few days, Tomy was eventually rescued in a global mission, but an unexpected call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi left a lasting impression. On Thursday (Sep 18), Tomy posted a heartfelt belated birthday message to the Indian prime minister, remembering this extraordinary experience. Modi turned 75 on Wednesday.
Who is Abhilash Tomy?
Abhilash Tomy is a retired naval aviator and yachtsman, best known for being the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in 2013. He sailed aboard the INSV Mhadei, marking a significant milestone in India's maritime history. In 2018, he entered the Golden Globe Race, a gruelling solo, non-stop yacht race that restricts participants from using modern navigation aids, relying only on traditional methods like sextants and paper charts.
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Shipwrecked: What happened to Abhilash Tomy in 2018?
During the 2018 Golden Globe Race, Tomy sailed on the SV Thuriya, a replica of the yacht used by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in the 1968 race. On September 21, while in third place, Tomy encountered a violent storm in the remote southern Indian Ocean. Winds exceeding 70 knots, and waves reaching 15 metres caused Tomy’s yacht to pitchpole, flipping end over end. The storm dismasted the vessel, leaving it severely damaged.
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Tomy suffered a critical injury, fracturing his back in five places, which left him immobilised. Unable to move, he activated his emergency beacon and sent a distress message: “CANNOT WALK. MIGHT NEED STRETCHER.”
The rescue operation for Abhilash Tomy
An international rescue operation was swiftly coordinated by Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) from Australia, India, and France, with assistance from both military and civilian assets. Tomy's fellow racer, Gregor McGuckin, who was also dismasted in the same storm, tried to reach him but could not as his own vessel had been damaged.
Three days later, on September 24, the French fisheries patrol vessel FV Osiris located Tomy. Using a rigid inflatable boat, the crew transferred him via stretcher to the Osiris, where he received initial medical care.
After further stabilisation on Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean, Tomy was airlifted by an Indian Navy P-8I aircraft to Mauritius, where he underwent surgery and recovery.Despite the severity of his injuries, Tomy made a remarkable recovery, returning to the sport and finishing second in the 2022-2023 Golden Globe Race.
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Abhilash Tomy remembers phone call from Prime Minister Modi
In his post on X, Tomy recalled how he got a call from Modi while recovering on a remote island after being rescued.
A French doctor, on the second day of his recovery, asked him, “Is the prime minister of India an important man?”
“I thought it a silly question—until he [the doctor] added: 'He is going to call you,'” Tomy wrote in the social media post.
"I thought someone was pulling a fast one. But the PM did call."
Tomy said, during the call, Modi recalled having met him at PM's residence, and asked after his health.
"Between hiccups, pain and burning in my chest, I told him his words gave me the courage to return to sea," Tomy said in the post.
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The circumanvigator also said Modi later spoke about it in Mann Ki Baat, the prime minister's weekly radio broadcast.
"It did not end there. A few days later, INS Satpura arrived. I was airlifted, and the Commanding Officer told me the PMO had been seeking updates every 15 minutes!"
