A helicopter sights him in the Pacific off Mexico, then he is rescued by fishermen: A shipwrecked sailor from Australia is said to have survived three months on the open sea in a catamaran that was unable to manoeuvre. The port captain of the Mexican city of Manzanillo, Marciano Valdez, confirmed the man’s rescue to the German Press Agency.
The 51-year-old is doing well but is still on the trawler looking for tuna. The ship will probably only return to shore after the end of the catch in a few days.
At the end of last week, the sailor Tim Shaddock was accidentally spotted by a helicopter, several Australian media reported. The Guardian reported that he and his dog Bella ate raw fish and rainwater for weeks. The on-board electronics had previously failed after a storm. Shaddock himself told 9News that the past few months had been “a terrible ordeal.” “I just need rest and good food because I was alone at sea for so long. Otherwise, my health is very good.”
Union of Tuna Fishermen: “God is great!”
According to media reports, the catamaran was discovered by the trawler, whose crew was on the lookout for schools of tuna with a small helicopter. The fishermen set course for the catamaran and brought the emaciated man and dog on board. According to these reports, the shipwrecked man set sail in April in La Paz, Mexico. The original destination was French Polynesia – thousands of kilometers away in the Pacific.
The man and dog are in surprisingly good condition, 9News quoted a doctor who was able to examine Shaddock on board. A video released by the broadcaster is said to show Shaddock smiling shortly after his rescue. The association of tuna fishermen “Atuneros mexicanos” posted on Facebook: “It has been announced that the trawler “Maria Delia” of the Marindustrias company has just rescued a shipwrecked man after three months. There is no doubt: God is great!”
Survival expert Mike Tipton told 9News that Shaddock was extremely lucky. Discovering such a small boat in the ocean is “like finding a needle in a haystack”. The fact that the dog was there probably “helped enormously” in the long time without human contact, said Tipton. “I think maybe that made the difference.”
