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

A British Army sailing crew competing in one of yachting's most demanding races found themselves coming to the rescue of a bedraggled barn owl 70 nautical miles from shore when the exhausted creature made a determined bid to join their team. The bird's arrival aboard Fujitsu British Soldier during the 50th Anniversary ‌RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race sparked a complex coordination effort between ⁠the military sailors and multiple wildlife agencies – all while the crew pressed on toward the finish line at Cowes. "We have an extra crew member ​for the latter parts of the race: an exhausted barn owl ‌that we are nursing back to health," skipper Will Naylor reported to race officials. He dryly noted that finishing the race with their original complement could prove awkward. "Someone is going to have ‌to walk the plank," he joked. Read moreRed fox stowaway from UK finds shelter in NY’s Bronx zoo after transatlantic trip The owl's boarding proved less than graceful. After failing to land on a crew member's head and ​tumbling from the mast into the sea three times, the bird finally collapsed onto the deck, where sailors secured it with a towel. "We thought we'd lost her, ​but she kept...