Australian Sailor Rescued After Nearly Three Months at Sea Chooses Not to Call for Help
Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, the Australian sailor who recently made headlines for being rescued after spending almost three months at sea with his dog, Bella, has revealed that he had the means to call for help but chose not to. In an interview with Australian morning show “Today,” Shaddock explained his decision to not use the SOS button during his ordeal in the Pacific Ocean.
When questioned by host Karl Stefanović about why he didn’t ask for assistance when he had the ability to do so, Shaddock explained that there are specific protocols in place for making a distress call. He further suggested that he didn’t believe his circumstances were dire enough to warrant calling for help. “It might have been my pride and a few other things as well,” he said.
However, when his family warned him about an upcoming storm, Shaddock admitted that he considered reaching out for help. Before he could make the decision, though, a helicopter from a Mexican tuna fishing boat spotted him and came to his rescue. “I had my finger ready on the SOS button, but my family actually took the preemptive approach and warned me of what was coming,” Shaddock stated.
Shaddock acknowledged that he had entertained the idea of continuing to figure things out on his own without calling for help. However, once the helicopter arrived, it became clear to him that he needed assistance due to the hurricane and the prospect of not surviving. It is unclear which hurricane Shaddock was referring to, but it is worth noting that Tropical Storm Calvin, previously a hurricane, had affected the Pacific earlier in the week before making landfall in Hawaii.
Shaddock’s ocean voyage began in April when he set sail with Bella in a catamaran from La Paz, Mexico, with the goal of crossing the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia. However, a storm severely damaged his boat, causing a loss of electronics and the ability to cook. As a result, Shaddock and Bella were forced to survive on a raw fish diet.
After months without encountering any other humans, Shaddock and his dog were finally spotted by a helicopter approximately 1,200 miles from land. The exact date of their rescue is unclear, but they were brought back to land by the tuna fishing boat Maria Delia, which arrived at a port in Manzanillo, Mexico, on Tuesday. While Bella will remain with a crew member from the boat, Shaddock plans to return to Australia.
When asked why he embarked on the voyage in the first place, Shaddock initially struggled to provide a clear answer. “I’m not sure I have the answer to that, but I very much enjoy sailing, and I love the people of the sea,” he said. “It’s the people of the sea that make us all come together. The ocean is in us. We are the ocean.”
The incredible story of Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock and his survival at sea with Bella continues to captivate audiences around the world.