LONDON -- Oxford University's women's team for the Boat Race has been rescued from the River Thames in London after being swamped in choppy waters during training for next week's event.
Members of a local lifeboat crew say they helped Oxford's rowers and their cox out of the river after three successive waves poured water into their boat.
The team was boarded onto a lifeboat supplied by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and taken to safety.
RNLI helmsman Ian Owen said Thursday in a statement that "while we have rescued quite a number of rowers over the years, this is the first time I've been involved in helping such a prestigious team."
The women's Boat Race takes place on April 11, the same day as the men's race.
