British Army sailors rescue bedraggled barn owl 70 nautical miles out to sea

Rescue at Sea

During the 50th Anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, a British Army sailing crew aboard the boat Fujitsu British Soldier found themselves with an unexpected passenger: an exhausted barn owl, about 70 nautical miles from shore. The owl's arrival was described by some reports as a 'determined bid' to join the crew, but it was far from smooth.

The owl reportedly attempted to land on a crew member's head, tumbled from the mast into the sea three times, and eventually collapsed onto the deck. Sergeant Mark Petherbridge of 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, described the bird's persistence, quoted as saying, "We thought we'd lost her, but she kept fighting her way back up and to the boat." The crew secured the owl with a towel and began nursing it to health, naming it Little Reg before changing to Little Regina.

Crew Response

Skipper Will Naylor told race officials, "We have an extra crew member for the latter parts of the race. An exhausted barn owl that we are nursing back to health." He also joked, "Someone is going to have to walk the plank!" The crew was competing in the 1,805-nautical-mile circumnavigation, and the race itself attracted 33 boats and 182 crew members from 22 countries, according to a report. The race began from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on August 9.

The crew could not stop to take the bird back to shore, so a coordinated rescue effort was needed to get Little Regina safely to land. The Barn Oowl Trust, Marine and Wildlife Rescue, and Caister Independent Lifeboat were involved in the rescue operation. The lifeboat collected the bird for transfer to a wildlife centre.

Rescue and Rehabilitation

The owl was transferred to RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre in King's Lynn, England, as reported by The Times of India. The centre said the bird was emaciated and weak, and was receiving fluids, nutrition, warmth, and rest. The centre also asked for donations, including heavy-duty cat beds. James Stannard of the Barn Oowl Trust helped organise resources and told the BBC that the owl had little access to food on the boat and could have died. Stannard theorised the owl may have roosted on a fishing vessel and been carried out to sea, and described the owl finding another boat as "nothing short of a miracle."

The outcome of the race itself was also noted in some reports: Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace won over all IRC victory and had taken Monohull Line Honours.

The rescue of Little Regina highlights the quick-thinking and resourcefulness of the crew, who balanced their critical race with caring for the emergency. The story captured attention for its blend of human compassion and the challenges of a demanding sporting event, and it was reported by France 24 and The Times of India, among others.