Tim Shaddock drifted aimlessly at sea for nearly three months after a storm destroyed equipment on his catamaran But now they’re safely on land, he’s saying goodbye to Bella, the dog that joined him on the journey
to French Polynesia. However, Mr Shaddock’s catamaran was impacted in a storm – wiping out his electronics, leaving him unable to cook or to call for help.
They were rescued by the trawler after being spotted by a helicopter in a chance sighting, and arrived in the Mexican port town Manzanillo, in the country’s Colima state, on Tuesday. Before his rescue, he’d last seen land in early May., Mr Shaddock told reporters Bella was an “amazing mate”, recognising he was “a bit biased”.“Bella sort of found me in the middle of Mexico. She’s Mexican,” he said. “She’s the spirit of the middle of the country and she wouldn’t let me go.
“There were many, many, many bad days and many good days,” he said. “When things get tough out there, you know, you have to survive. And then when you get saved, you feel like you want to live. So, I’m very grateful.”His coping strategy was to get into the water. “I would try and find the happiness inside myself, and I found that a lot alone at sea. I would go in the water too, and just enjoy being in the water.”“I’m alive and I really didn’t think I’d make it.
The pair were in a “precarious” state when they were found, according to the company that operates the trawler, Grupomar.A former IT specialist, Mr Shaddock took to the sea after surviving cancer more than a decade ago,reported. He looked forward to seeing his family when he returned to Australia and, despite the ordeal, still loved the ocean.
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