Australian man, faithful pup rescued by Mexican ship after months at sea

MEXICO CITY July 19 (UNA): An Australian sailor finally made landfall Tuesday in the Mexican port city of Manzanillo, capping months spent at sea with his dog until a surprise rescue by a Mexican trawler.

On Monday, the castaway, Timothy Lindsay Shaddock, 54, was spotted by a fishing boat owned by seafood group Grupomar with his dog, Bella, on a raft in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, the company said.

Reuters reports that the sailor and his pup originally set sail in April from the Mexican port city of La Paz, bound for French Polynesia, some 3,728 miles (6,000 kilometers) away.

A few weeks into their journey, they are stranded after a severe storm destroys their raft and turns off its communication equipment, preventing Shaddock from calling for help.

Grubomar said in a statement that they survived the ordeal by eating raw fish and drinking rainwater.

“I’m so grateful. I’m alive,” said Shaddock, who sports a bushy beard and long hair topped with a hat with the logo “Tony,” Grupomar’s tuna brand.

He is greeted on the beach, where he says he now feels “wonderful” despite suffering from hunger while lost.

When asked how Bella did after the rescue, Shaddock said she was “amazing”. The pup took pictures with Tony’s crew.

“This dog is something else,” said Shaddock, adding that he found Bella in Mexico before they embarked on their fateful journey.

MI