An Australian sailor has spoken about his ordeal being adrift at sea with his dog for three months, after he was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in international waters.
Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, detailed his brush with death in the Pacific Ocean, how he survived, and what he plans to do next, after arriving safely back on land in Mexico.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Rescued Aussie sailor back on dry land after months at sea.
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Shaddock, who said he “ate and ate and ate” following his rescue, confirmed he was in high spirits and good health, though it is understood he will undergo several more medical checks.
“I’m feeling a lot better than I was, I can tell you,” he told a press conference in the Mexican city of Manzanillo.
He said doctors had examined him on board the boat that rescued him, the Maria Delia.
The crew of the Maria Delia, part of the Grupomar fleet, spotted Shaddock on his incapacitated catamaran Aloha Toa in the Pacific about 1900km from land, the company said.
A helicopter working with the fishing boat spotted him, tossed him a drink, flew away, and returned with a speedboat to rescue him on July 12. It was the first time Shaddock had seen other humans in three months.
Shaddock and his dog Bella were in a “precarious” state when found, lacking provisions and shelter, the company said.
The Sydney man’s catamaran had set sail from the Mexican city of La Paz but was crippled by bad weather just weeks into the journey.
He said the last time he saw land was in early May as he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez and into the Pacific. There was a full moon.
Once rescued, the tuna boat’s crew gave the pair medical attention, food and hydration, the company said, but the journey home didn’t start immediately.
“There were 55 tonnes of fish that we still had to get,” Shaddock said.
The tuna boat, captained by Oscar Meza Oregón, arrived in the Pacific coast port of Manzanillo on Tuesday with Shaddock and Bella.
Grupomar founder and president Antonio Suárez Gutiérrez said he was proud of his crew, praising them for their humanity in saving the life of someone in trouble.
“To the captain and this fishing company that saved my life, what do you say? I’m just so grateful,” Shaddock said.
Shaddock said he had been well-provisioned but a storm knocked out his electronics and ability to cook. He and Bella survived on raw fish.
“I did a lot of fishing,” Shaddock said. “There was a lot of tuna sushi.”
He expressed gratitude for the survival of his dog Bella, who was a relatively new companion.
“Bella found me in Mexico, she’s Mexican. She is the spirit of the middle of the country, and she wouldn’t let me go,” Shaddock said. “She’s amazing, that dog is something else.
“I’m just grateful she’s alive. She’s a lot more brave than me.”
Despite difficult times, and fears that he would not survive an impending hurricane, Shaddock said he loves being alone on the ocean.
“I’ll always be in the water, I don’t know how far out in the ocean I’ll be,” he said.
“There were many, many, many bad days and many good days.
“I’m just so grateful. I’m alive, and I really didn’t think I’d make it.
“The energy, the fatigue is the hardest part.”
He said he passed the time fixing things and stayed positive by going into the water to “just enjoy being in the water”.
In photographs of the rescue provided by Grupomar a smiling, bearded and thin Shaddock is seen with a blood pressure cuff around his arm, holding a box of pain medication inside the fishing boat’s cabin.
In others, Bella is stretched out on the deck. The catamaran floated nearby without a visible sail.
Shaddock said his highest priority now is to return home to Australia to spend time with his friends and family.
“I’m just going to get home and take it easy,” he said.
– With María Verza, AP
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