LIFEBOAT volunteers rescued an escaped eagle owl after it got stuck in thick mud on a lake.

The owl was spotted stranded on Kincraig Lake in Bispham, the U.K., by birdwatchers Steven and Jane Dunstan.

Skip Firth, a volunteer at Fleetwood RNLI in Lancashire, was the first to be alerted — and he set off on a mission to save the stranded bird.

He finally found it when he spotted the owl’s bright orange eyes — which were all that was visible of the mud-covered creature.

The rest of the eagle owl, which is the largest species of owl in the world, was completely hidden by the thick mud.

Firth then enlisted the help of fellow volunteer Nathan Hackney, and they took a canoe out to rescue the bird.

It was eventually returned to dry land after a three-hour rescue mission, where the rescuers washed the mud off and gave it its first food for several days.

Firth had experience handling large birds of prey and was able to help the owl to recovery.

He said, “It was in a sorry state when we eventually got to it and we were just relieved to see it was still alive.

“It looked like it had been in the mud for several days. I’m not sure it would have lasted much longer.

“It’s definitely one of my more unusual rescues and not one I’ve been trained for with the RNLI.”

The owl’s owners, a family in the area, were discovered through the leg ring containing the bird’s information and the Independent Bird Register.

The eagle owl is now back with its relieved owners.

(SD-Agencies)