Real life 'Cast Away': Man stranded in sea rescued after two months

Upon rescue, the man was reported to be "stable and very well" by a doctor who examined him

By Web Desk
July 17, 2023
Tim Shaddock, the Australian man who was stranded at sea. — 9 NEWS

In fortunate news, an Australian sailor and his dog were recently rescued after being stranded in the pacific ocean for two months.

Upon rescue, the man was reported to be "stable and very well" by a doctor who examined him.

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Termed the real-life "Cast Away" after the blockbuster movie starring Tom Hanks, Shaddok survived in the Pacific Ocean by eating raw fish and drinking rainwater for two months.

Tim Shaddock, a 51-year-old Australian, and Bella, his dog, were stranded at sea after a storm damaged their boat while the two travelled from Mexico to French Polynesia in April.

The two were rescued by a tuna trawler after a helicopter spotted them.

Miraculously, despite his ordeal, the 51-year-old had "normal vital signs" when he was pulled aboard, Australian channel 9News reported, citing a doctor aboard the trawler.

Shaddock and Bella set out on a more than 6,000km-long (3,728-mile) journey from La Paz, Mexico.

However, after a storm damaged his vessel's electronics, the two were cut off, drifting in the vast and hostile ocean.

Two months later, Shaddock was finally rescued off Mexico's coast. By then, he looked remarkably similar to Hank's character in the movie, sporting an overgrown beard and having lost considerable weight.

However, despite the shocking event, the man said he was in very good health.

"I have been through a very difficult ordeal at sea," he said in a video obtained by 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."

He further added that said fishing gear helped him survive. That and a combination of luck and skill.

The tuna trawler returned to Mexico, where Shaddock will undergo medical tests and receive more treatment if needed.

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