An Australian sailor is recovering after being stranded in the Pacific Ocean for two months — with just his pet dog for company.
Sydney native Tim Shaddock, 51, and his dog Bella were rescued last week after setting off on a 3,000-mile sailing trip from Le Paz, Mexico to French Polynesia in April.
A few weeks after disembarking, their catamaran was damaged in a storm which also knocked out all of Shaddock’s electronic devices, rendering him unable to contact anyone for help, reported9Newsin Australia.
To survive, Shaddock told 9News he used his fishing gear to catch food — which he ate raw — and collected rainwater for hydration while he and Bella waited to be rescued.
This finally arrived two months after the storm when a helicopter that had been accompanying a tuna trawler spotted Shaddock’s vessel off the coast of Mexico.
“I have been through a very difficult ordeal at sea,” Shaddocktold the news stationshortly after he was discovered. “And I’m just needing rest and good food because I have been alone at sea a long time.”
A specialist physician worked with the captain on board the tuna trawler to provide Shaddock with medical care. The news broadcast shared a photo of Shaddock sitting down with his legs up on a table as a medical professional appeared to apply bandages around his toes and other areas of his feet. Another photo showed the sailor getting his blood pressure taken on board.
Shaddock’s doctor told 9News he was “conscious and chatty and eating small meals.” Also that despite his ordeal, the sailor showed “normal vital signs.”
“I have very good medicine,” Shaddock could be seen saying in the video. “I’m being looked after very well.”
The Guardianreported Monday that Shaddock was making his way back to Mexico on the trawler and would receive further medical assistance while on shore.
Mike Tipton, a physiology professor at the extreme environment laboratory at the University of Portsmouth in England, toldSky Newsthat his survival came down to “a combination of luck and skill.”
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“He was in a warm environment so didn’t need to worry about hypothermia,” Tipton added.
“Nearly all the long survival voyages occur in warm water,” the professor continued. “He had a supply of fresh rainwater. He did the correct thing of minimizing activity in the hottest part of the day to reduce sweating.”
Tipton also said that Shaddock’s dog Bella may have also made the “difference” in his survival,” per 9News.
“You’re living very much from day to day, and you have to have a very positive mental attitude in order to get through this kind of ordeal and not give up,” Tipton told the outlet.
“He had companionship. Once you’ve got enough food and water, then I think the dog has an advantage,” Tipton added. “Your survival time is as long as you can keep collecting water, getting occasional food and doing things that help you stay positive.”
source: people.com
