The Australian Defence Force had previously joined efforts to rescue injured Indian sailor stranded Abhilash Tomy in the Indian Ocean. Mr Tomy was stranded while competing in the round-the-world Golden Globe Race.

The mast of his yacht Thuriya broke off when it was rolled in a storm on Friday and the yachtsman suffered what he described as a “severe back injury”.

The 39-year-old Indian navy commander was “incapacitated on his bunk inside his boat” about 3704km off Western Australia, organisers said.

Sky News reports the sailor is “in safe hands” after being reached by a French fishing vessel on Monday afternoon.

Two P8 Poseidons — one from the Royal Australian Air Force and another from the Indian armed forces — flew over the yacht to inspect it Sunday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

AMSA, which is coordinating the search, said the crews saw that the yacht was dismasted but did not get further information about Mr Tomy’s condition.

“He is injured inside the yacht, so he can’t communicate further,” an AMSA spokesman told AFP.

The sailor was communicating with organisers via a YB3 texting unit but his main satellite phone was damaged, and his injury meant he was unable to reach a second satellite phone and handheld VHF radio.

The Australian Defence Force said Sunday it would also assist in the rescue, with the frigate HMAS Ballarat sailing from Perth late Saturday towards the yacht.

The Golden Globe Race involves a gruelling 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe in yachts similar to those used in the first race 50 years ago, with no modern technology allowed except the communications equipment.

Mr Tomy’s own yacht is a replica of Robin Knox-Johnston’s Suhail, winner of the first Golden Globe Race.

— with AFP