A 51-year-old Australian sailor and his dog were rescued after being adrift for two months on their voyage from Mexico to French Polynesia, Australia’s 9 News reports. Tim Shaddock and his dog, Bella, left La Paz, Mexico for the 3,700-mile cruise to French Polynesia, but weeks into his cruise, a storm damaged the electronics of the boat, leaving it powerless.
Shaddock’s boat was spotted by an aircraft in early July and a tuna trawler was able to sail to finally rescue the stranded man and his dog, who were then transferred to a military ship. Sporting a full beard, Shaddock said they survived by eating raw fish he caught and collecting rainwater to drink. Doctors aboard the ship said despite a forty-pound weight loss, he’s healthy. Both he and Bella are expected to recover.