A sailor and his dog were rescued in the Pacific Ocean over the weekend after they spent about three months stranded at sea with nothing more than their catamaran, some fishing gear, and each other's companionship.
Sometime around April, 51-year-old Tim Shaddock and his dog, Bella, set sail from La Paz, Mexico. But a month into the journey, a storm knocked out all of the electronics on the boat and set them adrift.
Tim and Bella spent months floating in the ocean. They survived on raw fish that they caught themselves and rainwater.
In an amazing stroke of good luck, Tim and Bella were spotted last week by a helicopter that happened to be flying along with a large fishing boat.
Finding Tim and Bella was like finding a needle in a haystack in the enormous Pacific Ocean, especially since the helicopter was not even actively looking for them.
It was another small miracle that Tim and Bella were in good health. During their adventure, Tim did a great job of staying out of the sun -- and was also lucky to have Bella along for the ride, as having that companionship allowed Tim to stay optimistic until help arrived.