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Flustered and drenched owl saved 70 miles out at sea

Rachael McMenemyand
Robby West,in Caister-on-Sea
News imageBritish Soldier Crew A tan and white barn owl attempting to land on a man's arm while on a boat out at sea.British Soldier Crew
The crew said the barn owl attempted to land several times before collapsing on deck

It turns out the owl did not need a cat or a pea green boat when it travelled to the sea, just a group of soldiers and their racing boat.

An Army crew had been taking part in a race around Britain and Ireland when they spotted a barn owl flying above them while 70 miles off the coast of Newcastle.

The flustered bird attempted to land several times and fell into the sea before collapsing on the boat deck, where he was scooped up and given a bed for the night.

After an eventful 24 hours with his new army friends, Caister Independent lifeboat crew met the soldiers off the Norfolk coast and transported the owl to shore.

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC Three crew members wearing white jackets sit on a boat. There is a blue flag flying in the background.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Mark Petherbridge and the rest of the British Soldier crew did their best to keep the owl safe and warm until he was handed over

In Edward Lear's poem The Owl and the Pussycat, the bird was off to be married, but there was no sign that this barn owl was headed to a wedding.

The army crew named him Little Reg, after a nickname used in crew member Mark Petherbridge's regiment, because he would not give up.

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Petherbridge said: "We saw it behind the boat, it came alongside and was sort of clearly tired.

"It flew alongside and was trying to find a place to land and get on board. He fell in the water a couple of times and eventually collapsed on deck, so we picked him up and put him in a box.

"It's been a tough 24 hours for him; it's not the most comfortable boat to be on, but he's doing well, and hopefully he gets the help he needs now."

Having handed over their extra crew member, the team will go on to complete the Royal Ocean Racing Club's race around Britain and Ireland.

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC The British Soldier boat at sea can be seen from behind. The crew are sitting aboard. One is holding a tall white box which he reaches over the railings with. He is handing it over to a man in a yellow jacket on an orange lifeboat. Shaun Whitmore/BBC
The owl spent 24 hours with the boat crewed by Army soldiers

Dan Goldsmith of the Marine and Wildlife Rescue said Little Reg would be assessed by a vet once at East Winch Wildlife Centre in King's Lynn and hoped he would be back in the wild as soon as possible.

He said: "It will be dehydrated, run down, quite thin. We've got to get it there as quickly as we can, get it to the vet to assess it, and all going well, it will make a full recovery.

"It's very unusual... barn owls shouldn't be 70 miles off Newcastle."

He praised the crew of the British Soldier, and said they had been "amazing".

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC A man in a life vest and yellow jacket and neon yellow helmet hands over a tall white box, containing the owl, to a man in a black fleece and jeans.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
The owl was handed over to the Marine and Wildlife Rescue charity

Paul Garrod, chairman and crew member of the Caister lifeboat, took part in the rescue.

He said: "It's a little bit different. I got a call yesterday evening from the Barn Owl Trust and asked 'would you be interested in doing it for us?'

"We said yeah. .. we were more than willing to do it.

"It's brilliant, and it's all worked out well.

"We don't just rescue people. We've done dogs before, a horse before, seals, all sorts. We're all living creatures, and it's nice to help the little owl on his way."

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