(PatriotWise.com) — The Australian who spent months adrift on the Pacific Ocean with his dog Bella touched dry land this week after being rescued by a Mexican fishing boat, CNN reported.
Timothy Shaddock, 54, spent three months living on raw fish and rainwater aboard a disabled catamaran before being rescued by a Mexican tuna trawler, the María Delia.
The Syndey native set sail with his rescue dog from the Mexican city of La Paz in April bound for French Polynesia, 3,728 miles away. But just weeks into his journey, the catamaran was damaged by bad weather.
Shaddock said the last time he saw land was when he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez for the Pacific in early May. While he was well-provisioned for the journey, the storm that damaged the catamaran knocked out his electronics, forcing him to survive on raw fish, according to the Associated Press.
A helicopter from the tuna trawler spotted Shaddock’s disabled vessel about 1,200 miles from land. After tossing Shaddock a drink, the pilot flew back toward the vessel and returned a short time later accompanied by a speed boat from the María Delia.
In a statement, Grupomar, which operates the fishing fleet, said Shaddock and Bella were both in a “precarious” state when they were rescued. The crew of the María Delia provided medical assistance, food, and water.
During a press conference after reaching the port of Manzanillo on Tuesday, the heavily-bearded castaway said that he was feeling much better than he had been.
Óscar Meza Oregón, the captain of the María Delia, told reporters that he thanked God for “putting us in the path of a man who could have died.”
Despite his ordeal, Shaddock said he will “always be in the water,” although he isn’t sure “how far out in the ocean” he will venture again.
Shaddock told reporters that he would be returning soon to Australia and looked forward to seeing family.
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