A barn owl was rescued by a group of soldiers after it was seen struggling 70 miles from shore.
After falling into the sea on several occasions, the bird "collapsed" on a boat filled with members of the British Army taking part in a race around Britain and Ireland.
The crew looked after it until the Caister Independent Lifeboat met the soldiers off the Norfolk coast and transported the owl to land.
Mark Petherbridge, a member of the Army Offshore Racing Team, said: "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."
The army crew named him Little Reg, short for regiment - after the parachute group Petherbridge is a member of.
He 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."
The Army team praised Little Reg for showing a "real will and tenacity to survive".
After handing over their extra crew member, the team went on to complete in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's race around Britain and Ireland.