An Australian sailor and his dog were recently rescued by a Mexican tuna trawler after surviving for almost three months at sea.

Before setting sail in April from the Mexican city of La Paz on his catamaran, Aloha Toa, bound for French Polynesia, Aussie sailor Timothy Shaddock was adopted by Bella, a stray dog.

‘Bella sort of found me in the middle of Mexico. She’s Mexican,’ Shaddock said, as reported by the Daily Mail. ‘She’s the spirit of the middle 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.’

With Bella as his only crew, Shaddock, 54, set sail into the Pacific. Several weeks into the voyage, however, a storm severely damaged the catamaran and destroyed the electronics and communication gear aboard, leaving them adrift more than 1,200 miles from land. 

To stay alive, Shaddock caught tuna which he and Bella ate raw, and collected rainwater to drink. 

Last week, a helicopter, scouting for tuna for the Mexican fishing vessel Maria Delia, spotted the disabled catamaran. A launch was dispatched to rescue Shaddock and Bella. The tuna boat’s crew gave them medical attention, food, and hydration.

Yesterday, Shaddock walked down Maria Delia‘s gangway in the Pacific coast port of Manzanillo. Shaddock said he’ll be returning to Australia soon and that he’s looking forward to seeing his family.

Bella is staying in Mexico. Australia has strict import and quarantine requirements for cats and dogs. Shaddock recruited Genaro Rosales, a crew member from Mazatlan, to adopt her on the condition that he would take good care of the dog.

Sailor and dog rescued after months stranded in the Pacific

Thanks to Dick Kooyman for contributing to this post.