On the 17th of July, a Mexican tuna (fishing) boat rescued an Australian sailor and his dog who had been adrift at sea for the past three months. The Sydney resident, Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, who is 54 years of age, was accompanied by his dog named ‘Bella’.
In a statement released by Grupomar, Shaddock was onboard his incapacitated catamaran (a fast sailing boat) named ‘Aloha Toa’ in the Pacific Ocean. They were lost in the International waters around 1900 kilometers away from the land when the crew of a tuna boat from the Grupomar’s fleet spotted them.
The company stated that Shaddock and his dog Bella were in a “precarious” state when the crew found them. They were lacking provisions and shelter. Afterward, the crew aboard the tuna boat gave them medical attention, food, and hydration.
However, the Mexican maritime company, Grupomar did not provide any specific details on the timeline like on what day the Australian sailor was rescued or when he had started his sea voyage.
The tuna boat accompanying Shaddock and Bella is steered under the Captaincy of Oscar Meza Oregón. It is expected to arrive later on Tuesday, 18/19 July, at Mexico’s Pacific coast port of Manzanillo.
hidratación y alimentación necesaria.
— Grupomar® (@Grupomar) July 18, 2023
El náufrago, Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, de 54 años de edad, fue rescatado junto a su perrita “Bella” en su catamarán de nombre "Aloha Toa" en el en Océano Pacífico Oriental. El buque arribará mañana al puerto de Manzanillo. pic.twitter.com/1JcE6EVG3D
Grupomar’s founder and president, Antonio Suárez Gutiérrez said he was proud of his crew. He praised the crew for their humanity in saving the life of someone in trouble.
Esta no ha sido la primera vez que alguno de los buques de la flota de Grupomar/Tuny rescata a un náufrago. Don Antonio Suárez Gutierrez y la familia de Grupomar ® queremos felicitar a nuestra tripulación por su valentía y humanismo en el exitoso rescate del Sr. Shaddock. pic.twitter.com/T5feSz5fcK
— Grupomar® (@Grupomar) July 18, 2023
Speaking with Australia’s Nine News television, Shaddock stated that he and his dog survived on raw fish and rainwater. A storm damaged his vessel and wiped out its electronics. Notably, a thin and bearded Shaddock was seen in a video broadcast by Nine on Sunday night (Australian time).
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.”
However, he added that overall he is in very good health.
Grupomar gave some photographs of the rescue to the news agency Associated Press. In these pictures, a smiling, bearded, and thin Shaddock can be seen inside the fishing boat’s cabin. He has a blood pressure cuff around his arm and is holding a box of pain medication. Apart from that, there are other photos showing Bella stretched out on the deck.
According to Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Shaddock and Bella had sailed from the Mexican city of La Paz for French Polynesia in April, but the voyage ended within weeks.
Prominent Rescue incidents in the past
Earlier, in June 2023, a sailor named Aaron Carotta was rescued after he was lost at sea for almost 34 days. He had set off from Panama in February on a mission to circumnavigate the globe.
In September 2018, a teenager was rescued from Guam after drifting for nearly 49 days in the Pacific Ocean.
In April 2015, a 37-year-old US sailor named Louis Jordan was found alive and well after he went missing at sea for more than two months. He was found sitting on his upturned boat when he was rescued.
Similarly, in November 2012, a man named Salvador Alvarenga was rescued after 14 months (438 days). He was lost at sea after he went fishing off the coast of Mexico.
