AUSTRALIAN Tim Shaddock, 51, and pet dog Bella, were found floating in off the coast of Mexico THREE MONTHS after his catamaran was damaged in a storm.

Shaddock, a former IT specialist from Sydney, embarked on a daring journey in April from La Paz, Mexico, with the goal of reaching French Polynesia, a distance of 3,728 miles.

However, several weeks into his endeavour, a vicious storm wreaked havoc upon his vessel, causing severe damage to its electronic and navigation systems.

With the crucial equipment rendered useless, Shaddock found safety under a protective canopy, shielding himself from the relentless rays of the sun.

In an effort to sustain himself, the resilient cancer survivor resorted to fishing for tuna and drinking collected rainwater.

Then suddenly from nowhere in his third month stranded and alone, a helicopter conducting surveillance for a Mexican fishing trawler buzzed overhead and spotted the pair.

Pictures of Shaddock, posted by the trawler after the rescue, showed he had grown a long untamed beard during his time at sea.

Tim’s clothes wore worn-out and grimy and he wore two hats to fend off the scorching sun and potential heatstroke.

Now “stable and very well”, Shaddock was filmed telling rescuers: “I have been through a very difficult ordeal.

“I’m just needing rest and good food.

“Otherwise I’m in very good health.”

Professor Mike Tipton, an expert in ocean survival,  says the remarkable story goes beyond mere luck.

“It’s a combination of luck and skill,” he told Nine Network’s 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.”

According to Tipton, the crucial factor for survival rested on the ability to obtain a consistent source of fresh water. In the case of Shaddock, this reliance on water availability hinged upon the specific climate and geographical 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.