Australian sailor returns after months lost at sea with dog, reveals what he wants to eat back on land

An Australian sailor who said he survived on raw fish and rainwater while adrift at sea for months with his dog has revealed what his first meal will be after returning ashore Tuesday.

Timothy Shaddock, 54, disembarked from the Mexican tuna boat María Delia that rescued him and his pup, Bella, in the Pacific Ocean and stepped foot on land in the city of Manzanillo.

When reporters asked what he would like to eat, Shaddock, smiling through his long beard and emaciated appearance, said “tuna sushi” – a sign of the castaway’s sense of humor after having survived for months on his disabled catamaran by fishing and eating his catch raw and collecting rainwater to drink.

Shaddock and Bella had set sail from northwest Mexico in late April, he said, planning to sail to French Polynesia. A few weeks into his voyage, a storm struck, disabling his catamaran and leaving him with no electronics and no way to cook.

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He declined to elaborate on what he called the “many, many, many bad days” the pair experienced floating with the currents, though he did reveal how he found some comfort.

“I would try and find the happiness inside myself, and I found a lot of that alone at sea,” Shaddock said.

He declined to discuss the storm or how his vessel was damaged, though images of the catamaran taken during his rescue showed there was no sail.

Shaddock said he spent most of his time adrift at sea fixing things on the boat, saying that the “fatigue is the hardest part.”

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Shaddock was 1,200 miles from shore when the María Delia’s helicopter suddenly appeared. He described how the pilot tossing him a drink “made me feel like I was going to live.” Shortly after, members of the crew showed up on a speed boat.

Shaddock said his companion, Bella, was “a lot braver” than he was during the ordeal. He said he met the dog in Mexico, and even though he tried to find her a home on land she kept following him back to sea. 

Shaddock, however, decided to leave Bella in the care of Genaro Rosales, a fisherman from Mazatlan on the María Delia’s crew, on the condition that he take good care of her.

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Shaddock planned to return to Australia to spend time with family and friends, acknowledging that he enjoyed the solitude at sea. Still, he said, it might be a while before he returns to the open waters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.