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He took a few shaky steps as he stepped on to dry land for the first time in almost three months.
Australian sailor Timothy Shaddock and his dog, Bella, were rescued by a Mexican fishing crew after being adrift in Pacific Ocean for 49 days.
The 54-year-old and his pooch had set sail from Mexico to French Polynesia in April but a few weeks into their journey, they were caught in a storm that damaged the boat’s electronic equipment.
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"I didn’t think I'd make it through the storm," he told reporters after he stepped on to land in the Mexican city of Manzanillo.
“There were many, many, many bad days and many good days,” he said. “The fatigue was the hardest part.”
Timothy and Bella survived on raw fish and rainwater.
To pass time while hoping to be rescued, he made repairs on the boat, and kept his spirits up with regular dips in the ocean.
But on most days, he and Bella stayed under the canopy of the boat to keep cool and avoid dehydration from the scorching sun.
They spent weeks without seeing other boats or any helicopters or planes until 13 July when they were rescued by fishing crew on the Mexican tuna trawler Maria Delia.
The trawler's helicopter pilot spotted Timothy’s white catamaran about 1 930km from land. The pilot threw him a drink and retuned to the boat, later returning with a speedboat to rescue them.
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Timothy and Bella's condition improved quickly with medical attention, food, and water, said the fishing vessel's doctor.
Six days after their remarkable rescue, they finally stepped on dry land.
“To the captain and fishing company that saved my life, I'm just so grateful. I'm alive and I didn't really think I'd make it,” Timothy said.
He also wouldn't have made it at sea without his best friend, Bella. "Bella sort of found me in the middle of Mexico. She's Mexican. She's the spirit of the country and she wouldn't let me go. I tried to find a home for her three times, and she just kept following me onto the water. She's a lot braver than I am, that's for sure.”
The sailor is on his way home to Sydney, Australia, and he can't wait to see his family again.
“I did enjoy being at sea, I enjoyed being out there but when things get tough out there you have to survive – and when you are rescued you feel like you want to live."
Meanwhile, Bella has been adopted by one of the fishermen who rescued them.
Despite the terrifying adventure, Timothy is looking forward to returning to the ocean.
“I’ll always be in the water," he said. “I enjoy sailing and I love the people of the sea. The ocean is in us. We are the ocean.”
SOURCES: DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, INDEPENDENT.CO.UK, 9NEWS.COM.AU
