ADRIFT across the Pacific Ocean with only his dog Bella for company, true loser Tim Shaddock seems to have done it for him.
For two months he was at the mercy of the waves, surviving in his stormy boat on raw fish and rainwater.
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Then last week, thanks to a chance sighting by trawlers, bearded Tim and his beloved pet were towed to safety.
Like Tom HanksChuck Noland, famous for the Hollywood film Cast Away, was suffering from anemia and had skin that was affected by the weather.
Bella wagged her tail excitedly as the crew filmed the rescue.
Her friendship is credited with keeping Tim alive.
Now “stable and perfect”, Aussie Tim, 51, was filmed telling rescuers: “I’m in a terrible situation.
“I just need rest and good food.
Otherwise I am in very good health.
Bella looks great too.
Former IT professional Tim, from Sydneystarted in April from La Paz, Mexicoon a trip of 3,728 kilometers to French Polynesia.
But a few weeks later, his ship was damaged by a storm that caused the lights and navigation to work.
Protected by a roof from the sun. cancer Tim who survived fished for survival as his hair and beard grew.
His dirty, threadbare clothing consisted of two hats that he wore at the same time to protect himself from the sun.
Then came something that must have looked like a wasteland.
A helicopter from the tuna boat hovered above his catamaran – and the pilot launched the vessel to help him.
Then Tim and Bella were taken aboard.
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It was like a scene from Cast Away, where Chuck survives a plane crash in the Pacific and, clinging to a boat, washes up on a deserted island.
A latter-day Robinson Crusoe, after four years of suffering is finally rescued by a passing ship.
Tim, whose doctor says he has “normal symptoms”, is now returning to Mexico on a trawler.
But his appearance is very different from the old pictures of his life.
In one image, he is clean-shaven and very rich, wearing a blue satin shirt.
In the early 2000s, Tim was diagnosed with a fourth condition stomach cancerand he turned to “a therapeutic approach instead of a therapeutic approach”.
He said: “When my health got really bad, I used to fast, drink a lot of water and eat healthy food.”
“I remember that I spent more than three months living on green vegetable juice.”
This raw food helped him survive the Pacific Ocean, as he survived eating raw fish.
Marine survival expert Professor Mike Tipton hailed Tim’s rescue as a remarkable “needle in the haystack”.
He said: “People need to know how small the boat is and how big the Pacific Ocean is.”
“The chances of someone being found are very slim.”
The professor of human physiology and work at the University of Portsmouth added that Tim’s survival was “a combination of luck and skill”.
He cited some caveats about using a sunroof, explaining that “the last thing you want when you’re at risk of dehydration is to sweat”.
He added that Bella has “probably changed a lot”, adding: “You’re living more every day.
“You have to have a very positive attitude to deal with this kind of problem and not give up.”
He added that Tim – who has now eaten small meals on the trawler – must be weaned to return to normal food.
He said: “It should come back slowly.”
Back home in Australia, Tim’s mother Jan Shaddock said: “He sent a message through the captain of the tuna boat.
“He was glad he was safe.
“I went to church to give thanks.”
He added that he “can’t wait” to see his son, but won’t stop him from trying more cruises.
He said: “You cannot live their life.”
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