An Australian sailor thanks his 'brave' dog Bella as they come ashore after three months of drifting.

Tim Sheddock during a welcoming ceremony in Manzanillo, Mexico Photo: Fernando Llano/AP

Australian sailor rescued by a tuna boat after drifting at sea with his dog, said he was «grateful» to be alive after stepping on land for the first time in three months.

After a doctor's visit aboard the Maria Delia, Tuna, 54- year-old Timothy Lindsay Shaddock and his dog Bella came ashore in Manzanillo, Mexico, from the fishing boat that rescued them.

«I feel myself good. I'm telling you, I feel a lot better than before,» a bearded and lean Mr. Shaddock told reporters on a dock in a port city about 210 miles (338 km) west of Mexico City.

“To the captain and the fishing company who saved my life, I am very grateful. I'm alive and I really didn't think I would survive,» Mr. Shaddock said, adding that he and his «amazing» dog are now doing well and that he still loves the ocean.

Before to leave the ship, the crew posed for photos on board, holding Bella in their arms.

The Sydney catamaran set off in April from the Mexican city of La Paz to French Polynesia, but was damaged by weeks of bad weather. in a trip. He said he last saw land in early May, when he emerged from the Sea of ​​Cortez into the Pacific Ocean.

Shaddock told Australian television Nine News from a fishing boat that he and his dog survived on raw fish and rainwater after a storm damaged his boat and destroyed his electronics.

A Mexican tuna boat spotted Shaddock's boat about 1,200 miles from land, Grupomar, which operates the fishing fleet, said in a statement. He did not specify when the rescue took place, but said Mr Sheddock and his dog were in a «dangerous» state when they were found, without food or shelter, and that the crew of the tuna boat provided them with medical care, food and drink.

Antonio Suarez Gutiérrez, founder and president of Grupomar, said he was proud of his boat's captain, Oscar Mesa Oregon, and crew, praising them for their humanity in saving the life of a man in distress.

Mr Shaddock said the storm damaged his boat and destroyed his electronics, he fished a lot, and that he and Bella survived on raw fish and rainwater. He said he would be returning to Australia soon and was looking forward to meeting his family.

Mr Sheddock also spoke enthusiastically about his dog, noting that he was a hit with the fishing boat crew.

«Bella kind of found me in the middle of Mexico. She is Mexican,” he said. “She is the spirit of the middle of the country, and she will not let me go.

“I tried three times to find a home for her, but she continued to follow me through the water. She's a lot braver than me, that's for sure.»