Clearly just an accident but one that could have had serious consequences. Always good when you can avoid them.I was getting VERY worried we may not find him, and both the neighbor and her daughter felt terrible about the whole thing! But it was no one's fault, she is up this way about every month or so, it is it her usual custom to release the chickens on her morning stroll.
Check out this photo of Betty from the other day. She looks like an ostrich!