Lost Sailor in the Ocean for Months Reaches the Shore and Shares His Ordeal

Australian sailor Timothy Lindsay Shaddock set foot on land for the first time on Tuesday after spending months in the Pacific Ocean following a storm that damaged the electronics on his boat.

Shaddock expressed his happiness at being alive after disembarking in the Mexican city of Manzanillo on Tuesday from the fishing boat that rescued him.

He told journalists, “I feel good. I thank the captain of the tuna fishing boat that saved my life. I didn’t expect to survive this ordeal.” According to the British newspaper Daily Mail, Shaddock said the last time he saw land was in April when he sailed from the Coral Sea heading towards Polynesia.

The sailor explained that he and his dog Bella survived by eating raw fish, saying, “I became extremely thin thanks to sushi. Fatigue and low energy levels were the hardest part of my experience.” He continued, “Despite all the circumstances I went through, I tried to maintain a positive attitude and enjoy the sea around me. I was trying to find happiness within myself.”

He mentioned that when he spotted a helicopter from a tuna fishing boat about 1200 miles away from land, it was his first contact with humans in three months.

He stated that the pilot threw him a water bottle and then flew away, later returning on a fast boat from Maria Delia.

Shaddock did not suffer from any illness or serious injuries during his time lost at sea and avoided sunburn by taking shelter under an umbrella on his boat.