An Australian sailor who was found by a Mexican Tuna fishing boat after drifting at sea in his disabled catamaran, has recounted his story to media outlets after returning to mainland Mexico with his rescuers.

Published 10 months ago

Australian sailor Timothy Shaddock and his adopted dog Bella, set off from the Mexican port of La Paz in late May 2023, on board his 30 foot catamaran (which he had purchased several years previously in Puerto Valleta, Mexico).

He told AP News that after preparing his boat and spending time testing and taking short journeys, he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez and into the Pacific bound for French Polynesia sometime in late May 2023, though the exact date is unclear.

The sailor, who is from Sydney, was crippled by bad weather weeks into the journey, losing a sail, some electronics and the ability to cook food.  He became lost and unable to call for help.

Mr Shaddock said days became a battle against fatigue, but he kept busy fixing things on the boat, fishing and capturing rainwater.  Keeping Bella fed and content gave him added purpose. The two subsisted on raw fish and rainwater.

He said he thought he probably would die at sea until he heard a helicopter on 12 July. Its pilot, Andrés Zamorano, was the first person Shaddock had seen in months. Zamorano had taken off from the Grupomar tuna boat María Delia in search of schools of the fish.  They were 2,000km from the nearest land.

“To the captain and fishing company that saved my life, I’m just so grateful. I’m alive and I didn’t really think I’d make it,” he added.

The sailor said the helicopter was the first “human vehicle” he had seen in months.  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.

“The chopper basically flew away and the came back with a speed boat, I was just very grateful,” he said.

Shaddock described himself as a quiet person who loves being alone on the ocean. Asked why he set out in April from Mexico’s Baja Peninsula to cross the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, he was initially at a loss.

“I’m not sure I have the answer to that, but I very much enjoy sailing and I love the people of the sea,” he said. “It’s the people of the sea that make us all come together. The ocean is in us. We are the ocean.”

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Read about another recent Pacific serendipitous rescue here:

• Search Results in Rower Rescue (Noonsite July 2023)

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Related News

• Rescued Australian sailor Timothy Shaddock reveals meditation and his dog Bella helped him survive. (The Guardian)
• Australian sailor recounts comfort he felt adrift at sea (AP News)
• Dog gone: Hearbreaking twist for rescued sailor and his loyal pal (NZ Herald)
• Australian sailor rescued after months at sea lost with Dog (Sky News)

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