Australian rescued from shipwreck donates dog with whom he shared a drifting boat for three months

Australian rescued from shipwreck donates dog with whom he shared a drifting boat for three months

Photo: Reproduction/The Guardian Editing: Redação Terra

Three months. That’s how much time Australian Timothy Shaddock and his dog Bella spent floating in the Pacific. Now Shaddock has decided to leave his faithful companion.

In April, the described “seasoner” and his pet left the city of La Paz, Mexico, bound for French Polynesia until a storm caused damage to their catamaran. Having no means of cooking, the pair subsisted on raw fish and rainwater for months until they were found by the tuna fishing boat Maria Delia some 1,200 miles (1,930 km) offshore.

Finally, on Tuesday the 18th, Shaddock and Bella landed in the Mexican port of Manzanillo.

Upon arrival, the Australian praised his partner. “It’s an incredible animal, I’m grateful it’s alive, it’s a lot braver than me.”

“Bella somehow found me in the middle of Mexico. She is Mexican. She’s the spirit of the center of the country and she didn’t let me go. I’ve tried three times to find her a home and she’s always followed me to the water.” he said.

Still, Shaddock chose to leave the dog. According to Antonio Guerra, director of the company that owned the tuna boat that performed the rescue, Timothy handed the dog over to the captain of the boat that saved his life. Bella didn’t leave the boat until the Australian left.

The sailor intends to return to Australia soon and said he looks forward to seeing his family again.