After nearly three months at sea, an Australian man and his dog were saved.
Tim Shaddock, 54, and his dog Bella were discovered floating on a catamaran 1,200 miles from land in the Pacific Ocean. “I have not had food, enough food, for a long time,” Tim Shaddock said.
Last week, a helicopter pilot was looking for tuna when he noticed something bobbing in the Pacific Ocean, more than 1,200 miles from land.
It was a tiny, white catamaran that was severely harmed. A man with unkempt hair and a shaggy, sun-bleached beard was on board. He seemed a little disoriented.
He identified himself as Timothy Shaddock and claimed that he and his dog, Bella, had been at sea for almost three months until a small boat deployed by the helicopter finally caught up with him. He claimed that drinking rainwater and catching tuna to eat raw helped him survive.
He claimed to have faced fatigue, hopelessness, and hunger. He alternated between being philosophical, humorous, and serious.
On a pier in Manzanillo, Mexico, he told reporters, “I did love being at sea. “I like being outside. But when times are tough, you have to make it through. Following your salvation, you experience a desire to live. I’m grateful as a result.
Australian Mr. Shaddock claimed that his story started approximately three months ago when he and Bella sailed on his catamaran named Aloha Toa from Mexico to French Polynesia.
On Tuesday, Mr. Shaddock, 54, started telling his incredible tale of survival as he made his way down the gangway of the Maria Delia, the Mexican tuna trawler that had saved him.
He admitted that he didn’t know why he had set out on the roughly 4,000-mile trek, but added: “I very much enjoy sailing and I love the people of the sea.”
In the interview, he admitted that at one point he lived completely off of green vegetable juice for more than three months. Grazing on food fresh from the garden as well as on wild edibles in Australia’s bushland, I also spent a lot of time in nature.
A hurricane severely destroyed Mr. Shaddock’s catamaran weeks into his journey across the Pacific, according to 9News, an Australian news outlet. He claimed to have last seen land in the Sea of Cortez during a full moon. Then, according to Mr. Shaddock, there were “many, many, many bad days, and many good days.”
The worst aspect, he claimed, was the exhaustion. “You’re constantly repairing things. And as for me, I would look within to discover joy. Being by myself at sea, I discovered that a lot. I would also enter the water and merely take pleasure in it.
He “did a lot of fishing” and “ate a lot of tuna sushi,” he claimed, to supplement the “good provisions” he had on his boat. However, he continued to lose weight and struggled with hunger for weeks on end.
Mr. Shaddock has a history of travelling.
He identified himself as a former information technology worker turned raw food entrepreneur who beat colon cancer by consuming raw veggies in an interview.
In the interview, he admitted that at one point he lived completely off of green vegetable juice for more than three months. Grazing on food fresh from the garden as well as on wild edibles in Australia’s bushland, I also spent a lot of time in nature.
A hurricane severely destroyed Mr. Shaddock’s catamaran weeks into his journey across the Pacific, according to 9News, an Australian news outlet. He claimed to have last seen land in the Sea of Cortez during a full moon. Then, according to Mr. Shaddock, there were “many, many, many bad days, and many good days.”
The worst aspect, he claimed, was the exhaustion. “You’re constantly repairing things. And as for me, I would look within to discover joy. Being by myself at sea, I discovered that a lot. I would also enter the water and merely take pleasure in it.
He “did a lot of fishing” and “ate a lot of tuna sushi,” he claimed, to supplement the “good provisions” he had on his boat. However, he continued to lose weight and struggled with hunger for weeks on end.
“My health was pretty bad for a while,” he admitted.
He claimed that Bella, the sole person aboard the boat with him, had given him the strength to endure the hardships of the open sea.
He claimed that the dog had began following him before he left Mexico and would not leave his side, despite his repeated attempts to find the dog a home. Bella “just kept following me onto the water,” he claimed.
She’s a lovely creature, he said. “I’m simply happy she’s still alive. She is undoubtedly much bolder than I am.
According to Mr. Shaddock, the helicopter that had taken off from the Maria Delia flew over him on Thursday. It was the first trace of human life he had seen in several months.
He said, “The pilot chucked me a drink.
Mr. Shaddock was seen on camera during his rescue speaking on his catamaran while sporting two hats and said, “I’ve just got fishing gear, survival gear.”
Later, he is pictured aboard the tuna boat with a blood pressure cuff wrapped over his arm, grinning.
He says in the video, “I’ve been through a pretty horrible ordeal at sea. I’ve been alone at sea for a long time, so all I need is some rest and nice food.
He continues, “I have not had food, enough food, for a very long time.”
He claimed on Tuesday that after being saved and taken to a trawler, “I was just eating so much food.”
The trawler’s owner, Grupomar, claimed it informed law enforcement, including representatives from the Australian embassy, so they could assist Mr. Shaddock in making a safe return to Australia.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian government issued a statement stating that it was “providing consular assistance to an Australian man rescued off the coast of Mexico.” It declined to comment further, citing confidentiality restrictions.
Oscar Meza Oregón, the trawler’s captain, the crew, and Grupomar, according to Mr. Shaddock, “they saved my life.”
I’m just so glad I’m still here, he said. “And I didn’t think I would survive,” When asked if he had any plans to go sailing again soon, he resisted even though he claimed to adore the water. Most likely not, he laughed.
