Bengaluru: A small group of Ham radio operators kept a round-the-clock vigil on Indian Navy sailor Cdr Abhilash Tomy when he was injured and his vessel 'Thuriya' was dismasted in hostile weather. With Cdr Tomy now on his way back home after being rescued, the HAM operators are thrilled.

For Pune-based Krish (name changed on request), Cdr Tomy is a friend and a fellow aviator. Irishman Gregor McGuckin, the fellow competitor of Cdr Tomy who too was rescued, is a Ham radio operator, claimed Krish.

Ham operators in India, Ireland, South Africa were locked on to Cdr Tomy and Gregor, post the mid-sea incident, Krish added, while also noting that  to stay awake for four days at sea was just a normal exercise for sailors like Tomy.

“It was natural for us to keep track of friends who are on special missions. We are touched by what Gregor did, because he sailed to help Cdr Tomy, despite his bruises and bumps. The Ham operators supported him as much as we could so that he could reach Cdr Tomy and help him,” says Krish on their reaction when the Irish sailor decided to set out in search of the Indian sailor.

“But for me personally it was a bit more. Cdr Tomy is a friend, though I have never met him. I have spoken with him over the phone and discussed for hours about flying glider and finesse needed to fly an unpowered aircraft across countries,” he recalled.

Krish stated Tomy was keen to learn the finer skills in flying unpowered aircraft and their discussions mainly hovered around detailed aerodynamics, physics, navigation, meteorology and seasons specific to certain routes. 

“We had common interests. I had researched these conditions worldwide for the past 10 years. So we did not have one single reason to bond but multiple reasons,” Krish reasoned.

He said the Ham team had problems trying to establish communications with Tomy.  “The race rules allowed for Ham radio to be onboard other than the normal safety equipment. He could not carry any Ham radio equipment as he did not have an Amateur Station Operators’ Licence. We did try to get him one but, things did not work out,” he revealed. 

The Ham teams spent nights keeping a watch on their radio sets and slept in shifts, tracking both sailors. The data collected from various sources were collated and send across to Gregor. “I jumped out of bed on the final night whenever the radio, computer or the phone gave out any beep messages,” Krish said, adding, Tomy could attempt a bigger challenge in future.

He termed Ham operators curious souls, very inquisitive, and not afraid to undertake experiments with very little information available. The motto of Ham community is ‘One World, One Language.’ 

“You got to have multi-talented skills in electronics, radio communication, computers and must be like owls, ready to stay awake late into the nights. A Ham operator is someone who can work wonders with very little in hand,” Krish explained. 

Mysuru-based aviator Capt Audrey Maben told Onmanorama that she too was hooked on to the feed from Ham operators via WhatsApp.

“I am not on Ham but the feed from Pune was our source and it was tense few days when Cdr Tomy was injured. Ham operators are the unsung heroes as always and even my eight-year-old-daughter Ava was tracking the developments live via the Ham feeds on WhatsApp,” says Capt Maben.

Capt Maben is India’s first microlight woman instructor and had undertaken a solo on a microlight X-Air during Air Race India in 2003 as the centenary of Wright Brother’s first flight was marked. 

Tomy's father Lt Cdr Valliara Chacko Tomy (Retd) told Onmanorama that he and his family are thankful to thousands of people who kept a close watch on his son’s status.  “There are many who kept a close watch on Abhilash from July 1 when the race began. We are indebted to all, including the Ham radio operators in different parts of the country, who tracked him. These are the real unsung heroes,” Chacko said.

He said he will be heading to Mumbai to receive his son, who is now onboard INS 'Satpura'. The ship is expected to hit the shores of Mumbai coming Friday or Saturday.

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