A missing Australian sailor who had been lost at sea for three months with his dog has been rescued after the stranded duo were spotted by a Mexican fishing boat more than 1,200 miles from land.
Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock said he and his dog Bella were just weeks into their trip from Mexico to French Polynesia when a storm damaged their vessel, knocking out all power and electronics.
The company that owns the boat that rescued them said both Shaddock and Bella were in a "precarious" state when they were found, but appeared to be healthy — given the circumstances of the situation. Both were given medical attention, food and water.
Shaddock told Australia's Nine News that he and Bella are both in good health and that having a companion on board certainly helped a "tremendous amount." The 54-year-old Sydney resident added that they were able to survive off raw fish and rainwater.
"I've been through a very difficult ordeal at sea and I'm just needing rest and good food because I've been along at sea a long time," Shaddock said. "Otherwise, I'm in very good health."
Shaddock will step foot on dry land for the first time in months when he and Bella are expected to arrive Tuesday in the Mexican port of Manzanillo, about 200 miles west of Mexico City.
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