An Australian sailor and his dog have been found safe after floating in the Pacific Ocean for two months.
Tim Shaddock and his dog Bella left the Mexican coastal city of La Paz on a catamaran in April this year and would sail about 6,000 km before they would drop anchor in the tropical area of French Polynesia.
However, the two were left stranded on the deep sea after rough sea conditions damaged the vessel and rendered the electronic devices unusable.
In a notable rescue reminiscent of the Tom Hanks blockbuster Cast Away, the crew of a Mexican tuna trawler rescued a man and a dog from the water two months later.
“I was only fishing,” Shaddock told one of his rescuers – in a video obtained by Australia’s Nine News.
Shaddock survived the ordeal by drinking rainwater and snacking on raw fish for two months.
With a long, unshaven beard, the 51-year-old man was found visibly thin after surviving on a meager seafood diet; but he also says that he actually “feels very healthy”.
“I have been through a very difficult ordeal at sea,” he said in the video
“I just need rest and good food, because I was alone at sea for a long time.”
According to the TV channel, Shaddock and Bella will soon travel back to Mexico.
