NUFORC Sighting 48371

Occurred: 2005-12-17 21:30 Local
Reported: 2005-12-18 22:13 Pacific
Duration: 3 min
No of observers: 1

Location: Jacksonville, FL, USA

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object

Dark triangle shape with v-shaped lights over the St Johns River.

I'm a Captain of a tugboat and was returning to my dock after finishing a job. I was heading outbound on the St Johns River entering Trout River Cut on a NE course.

The weather was poor all day with rain and wind and the weather at the time of this sighting not exactly perfect with rain squalls and wind.

As I turned into the cut I could make out one white light up ahead about a mile and a half off of my bow slightly to starboard. I figured it was probably a small vessel that I would keep an eye on. As I got a little closer I notice two lights, one on top of the other, like the mast lights of a tug with a tow so I gave a security call on my VHF with no response. I checked my radar but it was obscured with the rain and was, " all greened out".

The lights seemed to be stationary about a mile or so ahead of me and seemed to be at or just above water level.

About a minute later I was becoming concerned about having to meet a tow in this narrow channel in this kind of weather, so I decided to shine my spotlight at the lights. I did this to make the other vessel aware that I was heading in its direction and to also try and see if I could tell what kind of "boat" I was about to meet.

As soon as I hit the lights with my spotlight it made a Bee-line right for me at a pretty good pace. I immediately turned off my spotlight and thought " Oh great, I just blinded a Navy Helicopter pilot from Mayport".

But as the light came closer more white lights appeared kinda in a line with the center light brighter and the lights out to the side of it dimmer. I got this weird chill up my spine and thought "Holly Crap its a $@#!@^% UFO!"

It passed my tug down the starboard side at about a 40 degree upward angle. It was probably about 200 feet off of the water heading rapidly SW. As it passed I could make out a dark triangle silhouette with 6 to 8 white lights in a V shape on the underside. It was fairly large , about the size of a bus.

I watched as it passed and the silhouette against the low clouds looked almost saucer like from the back. In few seconds it was gone heading towards downtown Jacksonville. I never heard a sound.

I have ran tugs for a while and have never seen anything like this. I have never believed in little green men or any of that other stuff but this shook me up. I had 3 other crewmen on the tug with me but 2 of them where off watch and sleeping and my engineer was making his rounds.

It spooked me so much I had my engineer sit with me in the wheelhouse the rest of the trip. I did not tell him why, just that the weather was bad. He could tell I was shook up and I brushed it off for fear of him thinking I was seeing things.

I've heard other mariners say they have seen things but I always didn't really give it much mind until now.

As soon as I got home I went online to look for information and am amazed at all of the similar sightings. I now have a new prospective and I'm a little uneasy about what I might run across while I'm at sea.




NUFORC Note:

Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information. We would very much like to communicate with this party. PD


Posted 2006-02-14

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