Golden Globe Race seek to rescue injured Indian sailor

The organisers of the round-the-world Golden Globe Race said on Saturday they were scrambling to rescue missing Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy, but admitted he was "as far from help as you can possibly be".

Tomy's yacht Thuriya had its mast broken off when it was rolled in a storm on Friday and the yachtsman suffered what he called "a severe back injury". The organisers described him as "incapacitated on his bunk inside his boat" and his yacht is 3,704 kilometres off the coast of Perth, Western Australia.

On Saturday, he managed to send a message saying: "Extremely difficult to walk, Might need stretcher, can't walk, thanks safe inside the boat... Sat phone down." The organisers said on the race website: "The Australian Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre is working hard to assess and coordinate all possible options to rescue Abhilash Tomy who is as far from help as you can possibly be."