An Australian sailor and his dog who were stranded in the Pacific Ocean for two months after a storm damaged their boat were rescued this week by a Mexican fishing trawler, according to Australian media reports.
Tim Shaddock, 51, and his dog Bella left La Paz, Mexico, in April for a 3,700-mile journey to French Polynesia. But their catamaran’s electronics and communication system were knocked out by a storm several weeks later, leaving them adrift in the vast and hostile waters.
They survived by eating raw fish and drinking rainwater, and sheltering under the boat’s canopy to avoid sunburn. Mr. Shaddock, who had a brush with bowel cancer 10 years ago and underwent surgery to remove part of his colon, said sailing was his passion and he wanted to see the world.
“I have been through a very difficult ordeal at sea,” Mr. Shaddock told Australia’s 9News. “I’m just needing rest and good food because I have been alone at sea a long time. Otherwise I’m in very good health.”
He said he had fishing and survival gear with him, but not enough food. He also said he had “very good medicine” and was being looked after well by the crew of the trawler that rescued him.
The trawler, named María Delia, was on its way back to Mexico when a helicopter accompanying it spotted Mr. Shaddock and Bella on Tuesday. The trawler posted on Facebook that it had “just rescued a castaway after three months adrift. There is no doubt God is great.”
A doctor on board the trawler told 9News that Mr. Shaddock had “normal vital signs” and did not suffer any major injuries. Bella, the dog, was also in good health.
Mr. Shaddock’s mother, Margaret, said she was relieved to hear from her son after months of uncertainty. She said he was a “very special human being” with an “amazing spirit” and an adventurous nature.
“He’s always been adventurous,” she told The Daily Telegraph. “He’s got an amazing spirit. He’s always been like that.”
She said she could not wait to see her son, who was expected to arrive in Mexico in about a week. She also said his first stop would be the barber, as he had grown a long beard during his time at sea.
Mr. Shaddock’s friend, Chris Minns, who is also a member of the New South Wales Parliament, said he was overjoyed to learn that his friend was alive and well.
“He’s got fishing gear, survival gear,” Mr. Minns told 9News. “He’s got everything you need to survive at sea.”
Mr. Minns said Mr. Shaddock was an experienced sailor who had sailed around the world before. He said he was not surprised that he had managed to endure such a harrowing ordeal.
“He’s one of those guys who can do anything,” he said.
Professor Mike Tipton, an expert on survival in extreme environments at the University of Portsmouth in Britain, said Mr. Shaddock’s survival was remarkable but not impossible.
“Your survival time is as long as you can keep collecting water, getting occasional food and doing things that help you stay positive,” he said.
He said having a dog as a companion would have helped Mr. Shaddock cope with the loneliness and stress of being lost at sea.
“He had companionship,” he said. “Once you’ve got enough food and water, then I think the dog has an advantage.”
He also said finding Mr. Shaddock in the enormous Pacific Ocean was like finding a “needle in a haystack,” especially since the helicopter was not actively looking for him.
“It was a combination of luck and the right behavior,” he said.
Relevant articles:
– Australian Sailor Tim Shaddock And His Dog, Survive Two Months At Sea, Latin Times, July 16, 2023
– Sydney castaway Tim Shaddock’s health ‘completely normal’ after three months lost at sea, News.com.au, July 17, 2023
– Stranded Aussie sailor Tim Shaddock rescued from Pacific Ocean had brush with bowel cancer, MSN, July 16, 2023
– ‘He’s a very special human being’: Mother’s relief after Sydney sailor Tim Shaddock rescued, The Daily Telegraph, July 15, 2023