Barn owl rescued by British Army sailing team 70 miles offshore
A barn owl that landed on a British Army boat in the North Sea was rescued by lifeboat crew and is expected to recover.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A barn owl has been rescued by the British Army sailing team after it landed on their boat in the North Sea, around 70 miles off the English coast. The owl, named Little Reg by the crew, was found tired and dehydrated after flying far off course.
The soldiers were taking part in the round Britain and Ireland race and could not change course because of the competition. Instead, they arranged for a lifeboat to come and collect the bird. The Caister independent lifeboat crew responded to the unusual call-out and brought the owl back to shore.
Marine and Wildlife Rescue experts were waiting on the beach to assess the owl's condition. They said it was extremely rare for a barn owl to be so far out at sea. The bird was kept safe, quiet, and warm during the journey, and apart from being hungry and dehydrated, it is expected to make a full recovery.
Little Reg will soon be released back into the wild. The lifeboat crew noted that they have rescued various animals before, including dogs, a horse, and seals. The soldiers' decision to arrange the rescue, despite the potential cost to their race, was praised by those involved.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| A barn owl landed on a boat 70 miles offshore and was taken to shore by a lifeboat. | |
| It is rare for a barn owl to be so far out at sea. | |
| The owl was dehydrated and hungry but expected to recover. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on the human-interest angle of the rescue, highlighting the soldiers' decision to help the owl despite the cost to their race, and the lifeboat crew's swift response. It includes interviews with the crew and wildlife experts, and ends on a light-hearted note about the owl's future.
- “We saw it behind the boat. It came alongside and was obviously clearly tired.”
- “We don't just rescue people, we've done dogs before, we've done a horse before, seals, all sorts.”
- “Little Reg will soon be released back into the wild and everyone hopes that after his maritime adventure, this owl now sticks to barns and not boats.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.