A solo sailor taking part in the Golden Globe Race was rescued from one of the most remote locations on the planet after his back was severely injured in a storm.

Commander Abhilash Tomy was picked up by the French fishing vessel Osiris approximately 1,900 miles off the coast of Perth, Western Australia.

Falmouth Packet:

Tomy's 32ft yacht was damaged in a storm in the middle of the Indian Ocean

He was taking part in the race that aimed to recreate Sir Robin Knox Johnston's historic solo circumnavigation which set off from Falmouth in 1968.

Aboard his vessel was a barometer 'borrowed' from the Chain Locker pub by Sir Robin for his voyage, which was the first time anyone had sailed around the world alone.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra reported: “Tomy is conscious, talking and onboard the Osiris."

A multi-national search was initiated after the 39-year-old Indian naval officer's yacht Thuriya (a replica of Sir Robin's Suhaili) was caught in a massive storm on Friday where it rolled and the mast was broken.

He was incapacitated by his injury and had to lay in the yacht's bunk for days waiting for rescuers to arrive, surviving on iced tea.

Competitors in the race are not allowed to use mobile phones as they are meant to recreate Sir Robin's historic voyage, and Commander Tomy was equipped only with an emergency satellite SMS unit.

On the day of the storm, he sent the message: "ROLLED. DISMASTED. SEVERE BACK INJURY. CANNOT GET UP."

A code red was issued by the race organisers and they contacted nearby competitors to see if they could help locate Thuriya.

The nearest Golden Globe skipper was Gregor McGuckin, who was caught in the same storm, 100 miles away from Tomy, and also had his yacht's mast broken but avoided injury.

He was picked up by Osiris after they rescued Tomy. The two yachtsmen will now be taken to the nearest hospital on the remote Amsterdam Island, which is equipped with X-ray and ultrasound equipment

Ram Nath Kovind, the president of India, praised the efforts of the rescue teams in a tweet, saying: "Appreciate our French and Australian friends for being part of the maritime effort to reach and assist this brave voyager. I wish him a speedy recovery."