A video was released of a fishing boat owned by Mexican seafood company Grupomar discovering a lost Australian sailor and his dog off the coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean.
Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, and his dog, Bella, had set sail about three months ago from the Mexican coastal city of La Paz. They were on their way to French Polynesia – approximately 3,700 miles away – when they became stranded after a storm damaged their boat, including its communication equipment.
In the video, Shaddock can be seen putting his hand to his heart when the Grupomar crew finds him. He looks exhausted and relieved.
According to Reuters, Shaddock was rescued by the Mexican fishermen and recently made it back to the Mexican city of Manzanillo. In a statement, Grupomar said Shaddock and his dog survived during that time by eating raw fish and drinking rain water.
“I’m just so grateful. I’m alive,” Shaddock said. Shaddock revealed that he had rescued the dog in Mexico right before the two set off to sea. “That dog is something else.”
Grupomar thanked their crew for saving Shaddock and Bella from their frightening ordeal. “Thanks to the experience of the crew of our ship, he received the necessary medical attention, hydration and food,” their statement read.
When asked by a reporter at a press conference if he still loves the ocean, Shaddock answered in the affirmative. “Absolutely, I love the ocean,” he said. “It’s the people and nature that makes it all.”