French sailor Yann Elies arrives in Australia after he was rescued
suffering a broken leg and several broken ribs during a round-the-world
yachting race.

FREEMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 22, 2008) NETWORK NINE -
French sailor Yann Elies arrived on dry land on Monday (December 22)
after being rescued by the Australian navy during a solo round-the-world
yachting race.

An Australian frigate Arunta plucked Elies, a 34-year-old, from his
60-foot yacht Generali in the Indian Ocean on Friday (December 19) evening
about 850 miles from Australia's west coast, according to the Defence
Ministry.

The Navy then brought him back to Australia where he was carried off
the frigate in a hoist by six sailors and taken to Royal Perth Hospital for
medical treatment.

As he was being put into an ambulance Elies said he was "very
happy to be on land" and that he hoped things were going to get better
now.

David McIlroy from the Australia Royal Flying Doctor Service who
treated Elies said without assistance the sailor would most likely have died.

"Without assistance he would have died at sea. He was immobilised,
he was dehydrated, he had no means of supporting himself," he said.
Elies was competing in the Vendee Globe round-the-world solo yacht race
when a large wave struck his yacht late on Thursday (December 18) while he was
changing sails, throwing him to the deck and breaking his left femur and
several ribs.

In pain and unable to handle his boat, Elies managed to drag himself
into his cabin, send a call to his team for help and lie on his bunk while
awaiting rescue, his team manager said.

The Arunta launched an inflatable boat whose crew boarded the Generali
and managed to transfer the injured yachtsman to the Arunta, where McIlroy
confirmed that he had broken his left femur and several ribs.