British Army Crew Rescues Barn Owl 70 Miles Out to Sea

When you're 70 nautical miles from land in the middle of a grueling yacht race, the last thing you expect is a barn owl trying to join your team.

But that's exactly what happened to the crew aboard Fujitsu British Soldier during the 50th Anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race. The bedraggled bird attempted to land on a crew member's head, tumbled from the mast into the sea three times, then finally collapsed onto the deck.

"We thought we'd lost her, but she kept fighting her way back up and to the boat," said Sergeant Mark Petherbridge of 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment. The sailors wrapped the exhausted creature in a towel and got to work coordinating a rescue.

Skipper Will Naylor reported their unexpected passenger to race officials with characteristic military humor. "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 said, joking that someone might have to walk the plank to maintain their original crew count.

The sailors named their stowaway "Little Reg" before discovering she was actually a female. Little Regina got the full VIP treatment as the crew contacted the Barn Owl Trust, Marine and Wildlife Rescue, and Caister Independent Lifeboat to arrange her safe transfer to a wildlife center.

Sunny's Take

This story captures something beautiful about human nature. In the middle of one of yachting's most demanding competitions, these sailors didn't hesitate to help a vulnerable creature. They coordinated a complex multi-agency rescue while continuing to race, proving that compassion and competition can absolutely coexist.

Little Regina's determination to survive mirrors the crew's own racing spirit. She fought her way back to the boat three times, refusing to give up even after falling into the open ocean.

The British Army crew continued their 1,805-nautical-mile journey around Britain and Ireland, lighter by one feathered passenger but richer for the experience of giving a wild creature a second chance.