Tail of a fateful trip: How this Aussie sailor and his dog survived three months adrift
An Australian sailor who was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat after being adrift at sea with his dog for three months says he is “grateful” to be alive after setting foot on dry land for the first time since their ordeal began.
After a visit from a doctor on board the Maria Delia Tuna, Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, and his dog Bella disembarked in the Mexican city of Manzanillo from the fishing boat that rescued them.
āIām feeling alright. Iām feeling a lot better than I was, I tell ya,ā Shaddock, smiling, bearded and thin, told reporters on the dock in the port city, which is about 340km west of Mexico City.
āTo the captain and fishing company that saved my life, Iām just so grateful. Iām alive and I didnāt really think Iād make it,ā Shaddock said, adding that he and his āamazingā dog are both doing well now and that he still loves the ocean.
Before they left the vessel, the crew posed for photos on board while holding Bella.
The Sydney manās catamaran set sail in April from the Mexican city of La Paz for French Polynesia but was crippled by bad weather weeks into the journey.
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He said the last time he saw land was in early May as he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez and into the Pacific Ocean.
There was a full moon.
Shaddock told the Nine network from the fishing boat that he and his dog had survived on raw fish and rain water after a storm damaged his vessel and wiped out its electronics.
The tuna boat spotted Shaddockās boat about 1930km from land, Grupomar, which operates the fishing fleet, said in a statement.
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It did not specify when the rescue occurred but said Shaddock and his dog were in a āprecariousā state when found, lacking provisions and shelter, and that the tuna boatās crew gave them medical attention, food and hydration.
Antonio SuĆ”rez GutiĆ©rrez, Grupomarās founder and president, said he was proud of his boatās captain, Oscar Meza OregĆ³n, and crew, praising them for their humanity in saving the life of someone in trouble.
Shaddock said that a storm damaged his vessel and wiped out its electronics, he did a lot of fishing and that he and Bella survived on raw fish and rainwater.
He said he will be going back to Australia soon and that he is looking forward to seeing his family.
Shaddock also spoke glowingly about his dog, pointing out that she was a hit with the fishing boatās crew.
āBella sort of found me in the middle of Mexico. Sheās Mexican,ā he said.
āSheās the spirit of the middle of the country and she wouldnāt let me go. I tried to find a home for her three times and she just kept following me onto the water. Sheās a lot braver than I am, thatās for sure.ā
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