1 of 2 Tim Shaddock was rescued this week Photo: 9NEWS/via BBC Tim Shaddock was rescued this week Photo: 9NEWS/via BBC
An Australian who survived two months in the Pacific Ocean on raw fish and rainwater is “fine and stable,” according to the doctor who examined the shipwrecked man.
Australian Tim Shaddock, 51, and dog Bella left Mexico for French Polynesia in April, but the boat they were on was damaged by a storm a few weeks later.
The couple were rescued by a fishing boat after a helicopter spotted them offshore.
The doctor on board the rescue ship told Australian broadcaster 9News that the man had “normal vital signs”.
Shaddock embarked on the 6,000kilometer voyage from the Mexican city of La Paz but soon ended up at sea after poor weather affected the ship’s electronics.
The situation left the sailor and dog adrift in the vast and hostile North Pacific.
2 of 2 French Polynesia and Mexico location map Photo: BBC French Polynesia and Mexico location map Photo: BBC
When they were finally found off the west coast of Mexico two months later, the man was much thinner and had grown a beard.
“I went through a very severe ordeal at sea,” he said in a video obtained by 9News. “I just need rest and good food because I’ve been alone for a long time. Otherwise, my health is very good.”
Shaddock said the fishing gear helped him survive.
He also managed to avoid sunburn by taking shelter under the ship’s canopy.
Shortly after the rescue, he was seen smiling while his blood pressure was measured on his arm.
Shaddock is also capable of consuming small meals.
The fishing boat that carried out the rescue is now returning to Mexico, where the shipwrecked man will undergo medical examinations and receive further treatment if necessary.