A Sydney sailor who survived months at sea eating raw fish and drinking rainwater with his dog is "stable and very well", his doctor has said.

Tim Shaddock, from Sydney, and his dog Bella were found stranded in the Pacific Ocean after their boat was damaged in a storm, weeks into their trip from Mexico to French Polynesia.

Shaddock's doctor told 9News the man had "normal vital signs".

Professor Mike Tipton, an ocean survival expert, says luck was only a part of the pair's incredible story.

"It's a combination of luck and skill," he told Weekend Today.

"And also knowing for example, as Tim did, that during the heat of the day you need to protect yourself because the last thing you want when you're in danger of becoming dehydrated is to be sweating."

Tipton said the key element for survival was being able to secure a fresh supply of water - and for Shaddock this came down to climate and location.

"These voyages of any great length tend to occur in the Pacific," he said.

"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."

Nonetheless, he described Shaddock's rescue as a "needle in a haystack" situation.

"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 said.

How did the ill-fated journey unfold?

Shaddock and Bella departed La Paz in Mexico three months ago, but just weeks into the voyage they were hit by a storm, which crippled their vessel.

The pair got the bare essentials by drinking rainwater and eating raw fish for months.

They spent their days waiting, and hoping for rescue.

Salvation came about two months later when a helicopter accompanying a tuna trawler spotted the drifting boat.

When Shaddock was found, he appeared to be healthy and in good spirits - all things considered.

"I have been through a very difficult ordeal at sea," he told 9News.

"I'm just needing rest and good food because I have been alone at sea a long time.

"Otherwise I'm in very good health."

The 51-year-old is still on his way back to dry land, where he will be met with further medical assistance.

His companion Bella is also looking safe and well.

Tipton said it would have been an isolating few months and likened Shaddock's story to a real-life Cast Away, referring to the 2000 movie tarring Tom Hanks.

He said having Bella onboard would have helped a "tremendous amount".

"I think that may have well made the difference," Tipton said.

"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.

"But also, having a plan, rationing yourself in terms of water and food, is really the secret to long survival voyages.

"Just imagine how dark and lonely it would feel out there at night time."

Tipton added Shaddock will need to slowly wean himself back onto a normal diet.

"It has to be a slow return to normal and he will probably need to be kept an eye on for several months."

[-] idunnololz@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

This reminds me of the life of pie

[-] june@lemmy.world 56 points 1 year ago

Jesus. That’s just so unimaginable. How many times he must have admitted defeat and resigned himself to death through that period.

[-] bier@feddit.nl 38 points 1 year ago

How many times did the thought, when do I need to eat the dog cross his mind? Awesome they both made it alive!

[-] Hillock@kbin.social 33 points 1 year ago

I don't think it crossed his mind a lot. Dogs don't deal with starvation nearly as good as humans do. Things already get life-threatening for them after 5-7 days with no food. Humans can go 10x as much. So the fact the dog made it 3 months means they had somewhat regular access to food.

If you add that the companionship the dog gave was probably invaluable. And keeping down raw dog meat is another level from raw fish. I don't think eating the dog was much on his mind.

Water, sun, and drowning were probably a much bigger threat on their lives than starvation.

[-] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

They were probably eating all the tuna, which tipped off the tuna boat to go find out what happened to all the tuna.

[-] Jackolantern@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I haven’t thought about this. Do you think if he thought about it, he’s feeling guilty now?

[-] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Don't see why. Everyone doesn't have that familial bond with pets/animals. If it came down to it I'd eat my pet and I wouldn't think twice about it. Odds are they'd eat you vs starving to death

[-] Jackolantern@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

That’s true and I agree completely. However isn’t that what separates us from animals?

[-] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

No. We seperate ourselves from animals. We're the same resource devouring idiots with an inate need to fuck and pass on our genes. The only differences between us and animals is 1. We're better at it and 2. We're aware of it.

Futurama sums it up perfectly to me: And so, life returned to normal, or at least as normal as it gets in this primitive dirtball inhabited by psychotic apes.

[-] Liv2themax@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I can't speak for him. But, as someone who has had a dog as a family member, that dog may have made the psychological difference. Whole, "If not for me, then for this dog that is counting on me."

[-] Jackolantern@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago

I wonder how they survived. And that the pup looks quiet healthy.

[-] itsdavetho@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago

Rain water and raw fish... Dudes a friggin champ

[-] ext23@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

True blue battler!

[-] jochem@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 year ago

Fish and rainwater, apparently.

[-] forgotaboutlaye@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago

I always thought raw fish was filled with parasites and worms, which was why 'raw' fish is always flash frozen first. I'd imagine in a situation where the chances of dehydration are so high, risking food poisoning would be life or death.

[-] Hyperi0n@lemmy.film 10 points 1 year ago

They can be but are not always. Fish are flash frozen for freshness first.

However humans can't live on fish alone for 3 months without serious health effects. Hopefully he gets that looked into.

[-] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

I think you're thinking of rabbits. Rapid meat is too lean for humans to survive off of it, there isn't enough fat in it. Fish does not have that problem they have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and other oils.

[-] Hyperi0n@lemmy.film 2 points 1 year ago

You cannot live off of rabbit as your only protein. You can live off of fish as your only protein, but that's not what's being discussed.

A diet that is 100% fish can be toxic to humans. Both Omega-3 and Omega-6 are nessessary for humans but in high quantities they are also linked in liver and heart disease. Nutritionist and health professionals recommend no more than 3 to 4 servings of fish a week.

Ocean fish are also very high in mercury and microplastics.

[-] hup@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Not all parasites cause severe food poisoning or make you sick immediately. They depend on your survival for their life cycle. When they make you sick depends on the parasites life cycle. He and Bella both probably could benefit from treatment for parasites.

[-] jeffw@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

I know he was lost at sea for a long time, but that picture had me laughing. Glad he and the pup are okay

[-] kratoz29@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Wow amazing, I'm glad they both make it fine.

[-] Squidious@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

I don't mean this as snarky, but maybe someone here can answer this for me. He lost his electronics in a storm. He was on a sailboat that still had a mast. From the videos I have seen there were some tarps (and maybe sails) still on board. He knew he was Southwest of the continent because that is the direction he was traveling when the storm rolled up. Why not use the sun for direction, hang up what he had to catch wind, and sail roughly North East until he hit land? There is no way he could have missed all of the Americas from where he was at.

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