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Rescued sailor speaks after being adrift for months with his dog

<p dir="ltr">Australian sailor Timothy Shaddock has spoken up about the three months he spent lost at sea with nothing but his dog Bella.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 54-year-old was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in the Pacific Ocean after a helicopter spotted his incapacitated catamaran 1900 km from land.</p> <p dir="ltr">When he was found by the Maria Delia crew, which is part of the Grupomar fleet, Shaddock and his dog were in a “precarious” state after surviving three months without provisions and shelter.</p> <p dir="ltr">Shaddock, who was sailing from Mexico to French Polynesia lost contact because his boat’s electronic system was damaged during rough seas.</p> <p dir="ltr">When the helicopter first discovered him, they threw him a drink and flew away before returning with the tuna trawler to rescue him. This was his first contact with humans since early May.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the horrifying ordeal and the fear of not being able to survive an impending hurricane, the sailor remained positive and said that he enjoyed being out at sea.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I did enjoy being at sea. I enjoyed being out there," he told reporters during a news conference in Manzanillo, Mexico on Tuesday, after he safely made it back to land.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But when things get tough out there, you know, you have to survive. And then when you get saved, you feel like you want to live. So, I'm very grateful."</p> <p dir="ltr">Shaddock said that he passed the time by fixing things and tried to stay positive by going into the water to “just enjoy” it.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sailor survived on a diet of raw fish after the storm knocked out his electronics and ability to cook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I did a lot of fishing,” Shaddock said. “There was a lot of tuna sushi.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The emaciated sailor who survived was immediately given food, water and medication upon being rescued.</p> <p dir="ltr">In one of the photos shared by the Grupomar, a thin and bearded Shaddock was pictured in the boat's cabin with a blood pressure cuff around his arm and a huge smile on his face despite the entire ordeal.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a few others, Bella was pictured lying on the deck and receiving pats for being the bravest pup. Shaddock expressed his gratitude for his loyal companion.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Bella found me in Mexico, she’s Mexican. She is the spirit of the middle of the country, and she wouldn’t let me go,” he said. “She’s amazing, that dog is something else.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m just grateful she’s alive. She’s a lot more brave than me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He revealed that the hardest part of surviving was the fatigue, but this incident will not stop him from going into the ocean in the future.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ll always be in the water, I don’t know how far out in the ocean I’ll be,” he said.</p> <p><em>Images: ABC News/ 9news/ Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Tragedy strikes solo sailor Jessica Watson

<p>The long-term partner of Queensland solo sailing star Jessica Watson, Cameron Dale, has died, aged 29, following a catastrophic stroke.</p> <p>Watson, who became the youngest person to sail solo around the world more than 10 years ago, posted on Instagram on Wednesday evening, confirming the tragic loss of her partner.</p> <p>Describing him as her ‘long-term partner in every aspect of life and planned future.’</p> <p>She added that even with all of her achievements – which include Young Australian of the Year, Youth Representative for the United Nations World Food Program and being a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia – the role she was most proud of was being ‘Cam's “Jess,”’</p> <p>Watson went on to say: ‘Cam and I have been inseparable since 2011, our shared world centred on messing about on boats/</p> <p>‘Describing what Cam means to me is impossible – everyone who knows us understands how much we simply loved each other.’</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTRTvA6v0Rh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTRTvA6v0Rh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Jessica Watson (@jessicawatson_93)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"Even while experiencing indescribable grief, I feel so grateful for the family, friends, and communities Cam has given me and the person I've become with him," she added.</p> <p>"I take enormous strength from having been so devotedly loved. The years of treasured memories offer enormous comfort."</p> <p>Cameron Dale died on Monday, nearly six weeks after a catastrophic stroke, despite the best efforts of staff at the Gold Coast University Hospital, according to Watson.</p> <p>Watson’s story about how she became the youngest person to sail solo around the world at just 16, is about to become a Netflix feature film based on her best-selling memoir, <em>True Spirit.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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The extraordinary story of the British sailor who could have saved the Titanic

<p>In 1912, sailor David Blair avoided death when he was taken off the crew for Titanic’s maiden voyage.</p> <p>It turns out, the sailor could’ve played an unknowing role in the historic tragedy by walking away with the key to a locker containing the vessels crow’s nest binoculars.</p> <p>Historians believe if the binoculars had been accessible on the journey, the iceberg which caused the fatal sinking, may have been spotted earlier.</p> <p>According to the Britain’s Burton Mail, Titanic survivor Fred Fleet told an official inquiry that if they had access to binoculars, they would’ve spotted the iceberg earlier.</p> <p>“David Blair was standing by for three months in Belfast when the Titanic was being built and was signed on for the whole of the New York voyage,” retired Derby headteacher Murray Shaw told the Burton Mail.</p> <p>"He would have been responsible for all the navigation equipment but was taken off the ship in Southampton, surplus to requirements. As a former Navy man myself, I can understand why he would have been upset."</p> <p>Mr Blair was involved in sea trials to assess the Titanic prior to its maiden voyage to New York.</p> <p>He was supposed to be the second officer on the trip when the ship’s owner drafted in senior officer Henry Wilde from sister ship the Olympic.</p> <p>In a postcard to his sister, Mr Blair his expressed his disappointment that he was replaced.</p> <p>"Am afraid I shall have to step out to make room for chief officer of the Olympic. This is a magnificent ship, I feel very disappointed I am not to make her first voyage,” he wrote.</p> <p>On April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:45 and by 2:20am the next morning, it had sunk.</p> <p>More than 1,500 passengers and crew, including Mr Blair’s replacement died.</p>

Cruising

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Sailor drinks rum, crashes cargo ship

<p>In a classic case of “what should we do with the drunken sailor?” an investigation has found the Russian sailor on watch of the 7000-tonne cargo ship that ran aground in Scotland in February had drank half a litre of rum during his shift!</p> <p>The Lysblink Seaways vessel was reportedly travelling from Belfast to Skogn in Norway. According the Marine Accident Investigation Report, the sailor had downed the heroic amount of liquor in his cabin after a private phone call made him anxious.</p> <p>When the 36-year-old started his midnight shift as the officer on watch he was reportedly eight times over the legal limit and obviously in no state to work.</p> <p>Before he knew it the ship had ran aground. The ship, which had been carrying paper waste, was stuck onshore for two days with bad weather. Damage to the hull caused 25 tonnes of oil to pollute the water and eventually the ship was written off. </p> <p>A spokesperson for the cargo ship’s owner said, “We have a very clear and very clearly communicated zero-tolerance alcohol policy which cannot be misunderstood. We have never seen an officer having violated the policy before and we have never before seen such negligence of our safety procedures.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Marine Accident Investigation Branch</em></p>

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