Drama on the high seas
Drama on the high seas
A Queensland rower racing across the Atlantic is facing a new battle.
Andrew Abrahams has suffered a serious leg injury which is slowing his progress to the finish line.
Andrew sent pictures of his injury to 7News via satellite as he attempts to conquer one of the world’s toughest oceans.
What was already a desperately difficult challenge has been made even tougher by a leg would which has ‘opened up’.
It happened when Andrews was washed off the boat. While climbing back on board he gashed his leg on the rudder.
Andrew said: “Basically the wave just said ‘you’re not going to sit there anymore and flicked me off like a little bug.”
He has now packed the wound to keep it open as he fears infection.
Dr Tim Harraway from Careflight says he's done the right thing.
He said: “If he is the sort of guy who is rowing the atlantic he might be the sort of guy that is going to keep going regardless anyway.”
The Queenslander has now rowed 4000 kilometres in 50 days.
He's first in the solo division and sixth overall. But the leg injury has slowed him down.
“Everything gets tested out here and its just a challenge of survival,” he added.
Other challenges include loneliness ... and keeping everything nice and ship-shape.
A visiting pod of whales helped while away the hours while Andrew, who has 800 km to go, has to continually dive into the water to clean the barnacles off his boat so they don’t slow the boat down.
