Man and dog saved after two months adrift in Pacific

In an ordeal that drew comparisons to the Tom Hanks movie “Cast Away,” a man and his dog were rescued after drifting for two months in the Pacific, surviving on just rainwater and raw fish.

Tim Shaddock of Sydney, Australia, set sail about three months ago from La Paz, Mexico, bound for French Polynesia. But a few weeks into the trip, a storm wiped out all his electronics, he told Australia’s 9News.

That left him and his dog, Bella, at the mercy of the elements, his fishing acumen and his smarts.

Two lonely months went by, with the canine’s company truly demonstrating that dogs are man’s best friend. An expert told 9News that it probably contributed to the 51-year-old sailor’s survival.

“I think that may have well made the difference,” ocean survival expert and professor Mike Tipton said, according to 9News.

Shaddock was wearing two hats as a sun shield and recounted sheltering under his vessel’s canopy to avoid sunburn and dehydration. The pair were spotted, purely by accident, last week by a helicopter that was trailing a Mexican fishing trawler.

“It’s a combination of luck and skill and the right behavior,” Tipton said of the “needle in a haystack” rescue. “People need to appreciate how small the boat is and how vast the Pacific is. The chances of someone being found are pretty slim.”

Shaddock’s vital signs were stable, according to his doctor. He was being brought to Mexico for further evaluation and monitoring.