In a remarkable tale of survival, Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, a seasoned Australian sailor, and his faithful dog Bella, were rescued after spending three months adrift in the Pacific Ocean. The duo were found aboard Shaddock’s catamaran, the Aloha Toa, by a Mexican tuna boat from the Grupomar fleet, some 1,200 miles from the nearest land. Their survival strategy was simple yet effective – they subsisted on a diet of raw fish and rainwater.
In a video broadcast by Australia’s 9News, Shaddock, looking noticeably thin and sporting a beard, expressed his relief at being found. He shared that the ordeal had been challenging and that he was in desperate need of rest and nourishment. Despite the hardships, Shaddock confirmed that he was in surprisingly good health.
Shaddock and Bella had set sail from La Paz, Mexico, with French Polynesia as their destination in April. However, their journey was abruptly halted within weeks, as reported by Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. A storm had severely damaged their vessel and its electronics, leaving them without any means of communication and forcing them to rely on raw fish and rainwater for survival.
The crew of the Grupomar tuna boat found Shaddock and Bella in a dire situation, without food or shelter. The company did not provide specific details about the rescue or the start date of Shaddock’s voyage.
Shaddock’s doctor assured 9News that both he and Bella were stable and in good health, with Shaddock exhibiting normal vital signs. Professor Mike Tipton, an ocean survival expert at the University of Portsmouth in England, commented on the rescue, stating that it was a combination of luck and skill that ensured their survival. He likened the rescue to finding a needle in a haystack, given the vastness of the Pacific and the small size of the boat.