A stranded sailor and his dog have been rescued in the South Pacific Ocean after months at sea, rescuers told Australian media over the weekend.
The sailor, Tim Shaddock, 51, and Bella, the dog, left La Paz, Mexico, three months ago. A month into their voyage, a storm hit their white catamaran, destroying all electronic devices. according to 9News. Shaddock said that he and Bella survived three months in the sea eating raw fish and drinking rainwater.
They were rescued by a Mexican tuna boat over the weekend, 9News reported.
“I have been through a very difficult trial at sea,” Shaddock told the channel, adding that he had fishing gear and other survival gear with him.
“I just need to rest and eat well because I’ve been alone in the sea for a long time,” he said, adding: “I haven’t had food, enough food, for a long time.”
A doctor who treated Shaddock on the trawler told 9News that he had “normal vital signs”.
Shaddock and Bella were spotted last week by a helicopter accompanying a tuna boat, which was returning to Mexico, according to 9News. It was unclear when Shaddock first left Mexico and where he and Bella were rescued.
The trawler was returning to the west coast of Mexico, where Shaddock would receive more attention, according to 9News.
Shaddock said he avoided sunburn by sheltering under the awning of his boat, eating raw fish and drinking rainwater.
Mike Tipton, professor of physiology in the extreme environments laboratory at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, said: “If you get sunburned, that affects your ability to regulate your body temperature.” Otherwise, he said, Shaddock could sweat up to 1-2 liters per hour.
“If you do absolutely nothing and rest and stay cool, you can get away with less than 110 to 220 milliliters of water a day,” he said.
Shaddock had to take care of not only himself, but also his dog, which Tipton says helped them survive.
“I had company. Once you have enough food and water, I think the dog has an advantage,” Tipton said. “Your survival time is as long as you can continue to collect water, occasionally get food, and do things that help you stay positive.”
Finding Shaddock was like finding a “needle in a haystack” in the vast Pacific Ocean, Tipton said, especially since the helicopter wasn’t even actively looking for it.
“It was a combination of luck and the right behavior,” he said.
