Sailor who survived 2 months lost at sea with his dog speaks out: ‘Really didn’t think I’d make it’
The Australian man who spent over two months lost at sea with his dog when his storm-damaged boat drifted over 1,000 miles from shore spoke out as he set foot on land for the first time on Tuesday.
Tim Shaddock, 51, who was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat over the weekend alongside his dog Bella, said he was doing much better than he was a week ago.
“I feel a lot better than I was,” Shaddock told reporters as he stepped off the boat at a port in Manzanilla, a city approximately 210 miles west of Mexico City.
Shaddock’s journey started in April when the Sydney, Australia resident set off from La Paz, Mexico and attempted to sail across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia.
However, Shaddock’s catamaran was damaged by a storm approximately a month into the voyage.
The boat’s electronics system was among the storm’s victims, turning the white vessel into just an expensive raft.
Australian sailor Tim Shaddock is seen giving a thumbs up after arriving at the port of Manzanillo on Tuesday. AFP via Getty Images
Shaddock and Bella the dog were rescued by a tuna boat after spending months at sea. Grupomar/AFP via Getty Images
Shaddock was saved when a helicopter spotted his boat 1,200 miles offshore and alerted a tune boat, the “Maria Delia.”
“To the captain and this fishing company that saved my life, I mean, what do you say? I’m just so grateful, I’m alive. I really didn’t think I’d make it,” Shaddock said.
Shaddock said he suffered from fatigue and passed his time swimming in the water and fixing things aboard the boat.
“I feel really good, I’ve been struggling you know the health was pretty bad for a while, I was pretty hungry and I didn’t think I would make it through the storm but now I’m doing really good,” he added.
Shaddock was able to survive off of the supplies he had already packed for the trip along with the fish he caught.
“I did a lot of fishing,” Shaddock said. “I took a lot of stuff with me too good provisions, I mean I lost my cooking along the way so there was a lot of tuna sushi, but it was enough. I’m still very skinny, by the time I came here to the fishing boat I was just eating so much food.”
Tim Shaddock poses for a picture after arriving at the port of Manzanillo, Colima State, on July 18, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
Shaddock was examined by a medical team after arriving back to land in Mexico. via REUTERS
Grupomar, the owner of the boat that saved Shaddock, said the Maria Delia was likely headed for retirement but that it got a “marvelous farewell, saving human lives.” AFP via Getty Images
The Australian’s journey was made easier with the help of his stowaway, Bella the dog, whom he adopted after the two met in Mexico before the voyage.
“She’s amazing, that dog is something else, I’m a bit biased but yeah,” Shaddock said. “Bella seemed to have found me in the middle of Mexico, she’s Mexican, she is the spirit of the middle of the country and she wouldn’t let me go.
“I tried to find a home for her maybe three times and she just kept following me out into the water. She’s a beautiful animal and I’m just grateful she’s alive.
“She’s a lot more braver than I am, that’s for sure.”
Bella the dog, surrounded by crew members of the “Maria Delia” after arriving back to port in Mexico. AFP via Getty Images
Tim Shaddock speaks after arriving at the port of Manzanillo, Colima State, on July 18, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
When photos of his rescue first surfaced Shaddock was compared to Tom Hanks’ character Chuck Noland in the film “Cast Away,” emerging looking emaciated, dirty, and sporting an unkempt beard. Moviestore/Shutterstock
Grupomar, the owner of the boat that saved Shaddock, said the Maria Delia was likely headed for retirement but that it got a “marvelous farewell, saving human lives.”
Even though he still loves being alone out on the ocean, Shaddock doesn’t see himself sailing anytime soon and is looking forward to going back home to Australia in the coming weeks.
“I’ll always be in the water, I don’t know how far out in the ocean again I’ll be, I just love nature.”
As for Bella, Shaddock left the dog behind with Genaro Rosales, a “Maria Delia” crewmember, who took in the dog on the condition the pooch received good care, according to AP.
When photos of his rescue first surfaced Shaddock was compared to Tom Hanks’ character Chuck Noland in the film “Cast Away,” emerging looking emaciated, dirty and sporting an unkempt beard.
Although his appearance isn’t what it was prior to his voyage, Shaddock’s health is said to be stable with “normal vital signs,” the doctor that examined him on the boat told 9News.
Source: New York Post
