A perilous journey that unfolded on the Pacific Ocean came to a remarkable end when an Australian sailor and his dog were found and rescued off the coast of Mexico after being lost at sea for months.
Timothy Shaddock, 51, and his faithful companion Bella had been adrift, surviving on a diet of rainwater and raw fish since April when a storm ravaged their catamaran's electronics and communication system. The sailor, from Sydney, was going from La Paz in Mexico to French Polynesia, a 3,107-mile (5,000 km) trip, when the violent storm left him stranded.
The pair were rescued after a helicopter conducting surveillance for a Mexican fishing trawler found them on 12 July.
A picture of Shaddock, posted by the trawler after the rescue, showed he had grown a long beard during his time at sea.
"The tuna boat 'MARÍA DELIA' of the marindustrias company has just rescued a castaway after three months adrift. There is no doubt God is great," the post said.
Following the rescue, Shaddock, gaunt but surprisingly in good health considering the circumstances, shared his harrowing experience with 9News. "I've been through a very difficult ordeal at sea and I'm just needing rest and good food because I've been alone at sea for a long time… I have not had enough food for a long time." Shaddock and Bella are now en route to Mexico on the tuna trawler, where they will undergo medical evaluations and receive any necessary treatment.
