An Australian sailor and his dog have been rescued after drifting at sea for three months.
9 News Australia reported Timothy Shaddock and his dog, Bella, set out on a journey off the coast of Mexico to French Polynesia but became stranded after severe weather caused all electronics on board to malfunction.
Shaddock and Bella survived for three months drifting at sea by eating raw fish and drinking rainwater.
A Tuna Trawler helicopter spotted them by chance, and a rescue began. Shaddock was filmed describing his experiences as he is currently being transported back to land.
He said, “I’ve been through a very difficult ordeal at sea and I’m just needing rest and good food because I’ve been alone at sea a long time.”
“I’ve not had food, enough food for a long time,” he added.
Neither Shaddock nor Bella have suffered serious injuries or illnesses.
9 News Australia reported that ocean survival expert, Professor Mike Tipton called the situation “a combination of luck and skill.”
He noted, “These voyages of any great length tend to occur in the Pacific” and “If you look back through history, they tend to occur in warm environments because if it was a cold environment you don’t survive long enough.”
Shaddock’s story is being hailed as a miracle.
Tipton stated, “People need to appreciate how small the boat is and how vast the Pacific is. The chances of someone being found are pretty slim .”
He also attributed Bella’s companionship to a healthier outcome. Tipton said, “I think that may have well made the difference.”
“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,” he added.
Shaddock and Bella have to slowly be reintroduced to a regular diet, but other than that, Shaddock admitted in the video footage after his rescue, “I have very good medicine. I’ve been looked after very well.”