Tim Shaddock: Australian sailor and his dog Bella are rescued after spending two months lost at sea
Aussie sailor is rescued after surviving two months in the middle of the Pacific with his dog Bella by eating raw fish and drinking rainwater: ‘Real life Cast Away’
- Australian sailor rescued after getting lost in Pacific Ocean
- Tim Shaddock and dog Bella survived on raw fish and rainwater
- The Sydney man’s catamaran was hit by a storm two months ago
An Australian sailor and his dog have been miraculously rescued after the pair spent months floating on the Pacific Ocean, eating raw fish and drinking rainwater.
Tim Shaddock and his dog Bella were picked up by a tuna trawler off the coast of Mexico after a helicopter accompanying the ship spotted their catamaran.
The Sydney man left Mexico’s La Paz in April bound for French Polynesia, but a storm destroyed electronics on his ship a few weeks into the trip.
Mr Shaddock said he was forced to float for two months with only his dog for company, while the pair ate raw fish and drank rainwater to stay alive.
Tim Shaddock (pictured) and his dog Bella were picked up by a tuna trawler off the coast of Mexico after drifting in the Pacific for several months
The Sydney man left Mexico’s La Paz in April bound for French Polynesia, but a storm destroyed electronics on his ship a few weeks into the trip
Images of his miraculous rescue obtained by Nine News showed a thin Mr. Shaddock with an overgrown gray beard as he spoke to the authorities.
His dog Bella was seen wagging his tail at the camera crew filming the sailor’s catamaran littered with buckets and equipment.
“Just got fishing gear, survival gear,” he was heard to say to a man from the ship.
Mr Shaddock said he had gone through a very difficult ordeal before being rescued by the trawler and had not eaten enough for ‘a long time’.
“I need some rest and some good food, for I have been alone at sea for a long time,” said the sailor.
“I have very good medicines and I am very well taken care of.”
An image of Mr. Shaddock after his rescue showed him with a wide grin with a blood pressure monitor attached to his arm.
An image of Mr Shaddock after his rescue showed him smiling with a sphygmomanometer on his arm (pictured)
Mr Shaddock (pictured with his dog Bella) said he went through a very difficult ordeal before being rescued by the trawler and hadn’t eaten enough for ‘a long time’
A specialist doctor on the trawler compared Mr Shaddock’s predicament to Tom Hank’s film Castaway (pictured)
A specialist doctor on the trawler said Mr Shaddock has started eating small meals while remaining conscious and talkative after the ordeal.
It is clear that he suffered no serious illness or injury during the lost time in the middle of the Pacific.
The sailor has also avoided sunburn by hiding under a canopy on his ship.
The Doctor compared Mr Shaddock’s predicament to Tom Hank’s film Castaway – with the image of the star’s thin and bearded character bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Australian sailor.
The trawler has begun its slow journey back to Mexico where Mr. Shaddock will receive more medical treatment.