Maria Verza, Gerardo Carrillo and Fernando Llano deployed quickly at the Mexican port where an Australian castaway was to arrive after being rescued by a Mexican boat, putting the AP ahead of competitors also covering the story.
On Sunday, July 16, Australian media were reporting the rescue of an Australian sailor by a Mexican boat, although they had no details. The only confirmation was a Facebook post by a fishing association. It started a race to confirm what it could be a fantastic story. It wasn’t until the next day, when the Mexico City team confirmed with the tuna boat company that they had rescued Timothy Shaddock, 54, who was adrift at sea with his dog for three months. They told correspondent María Verza that he was expected to reach land at some point, maybe the following day, so she along with cameraman Gerardo Carrillo and photographer Fernando Llano left the city to be at the Manzanillo port that same night. It paid off, because Shaddock arrived the next morning. Carrillo was able to do a live interview via Bambuser, while the video desk fast filed something, and a day after his arrival, the team also secured an interview with the castaway.