An Australian sailor who drifted at sea with his dog for three months has been rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in international waters
Jul 17, 2023 8:54pm ET
• 2 min reading
MANZANILLO, Mexico — An Australian sailor who spent three months drifting at sea with his dog was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in international waters, the fishing vessel’s owner said Monday.
Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, was aboard his disabled catamaran Aloha Toa in the Pacific Ocean about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) from land when the crew of the Grupomar fleet boat spotted them, the company said in a statement .
The company said Shaddock and his dog Bella were in a “poor” condition when they were found, lacking provisions and shelter. The crew of the tuna boat gave them medical care, food and hydration, it said.
Grupomar gave no specifics as to the day Shaddock was rescued or when he began his journey.
The tuna boat, captained by Oscar Meza Oregón, was scheduled to arrive at Port Manzanillo on the Pacific coast on Tuesday, along with Shaddock and Bella.
Antonio Suárez Gutiérrez, founder and president of Grupomar, said he was proud of his crew and commended them for the humanity they showed in saving the life of someone in need.
Shaddock told Australian TV channel Nine News that he and his dog survived on raw fish and rainwater after a storm damaged his ship and destroyed its electronics.
“I’ve been through a very severe ordeal at sea and I just need rest and good food because I’ve been at sea alone for a long time,” a thin and bearded Shaddock said in a video broadcast in Australia on Sunday night by Nine Time.
“Other than that, I’m in very good health,” added Shaddock.
The Sydney resident and his dog had sailed from the Mexican city of La Paz to French Polynesia in April, but the voyage ended within weeks, Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported.
In photos of the rescue provided by Grupomar to the AP, a smiling, bearded and thin Shaddock with a blood pressure cuff around his arm can be seen holding a box of painkillers in the fishing boat’s cabin. Other times, Bella is stretched out on the deck. The catamaran swam nearby with no sail in sight.