NUFORC Sighting 79630

Occurred: 1976-07-05 23:45 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2011-01-11 08:36 Pacific
Duration: 8-10 minutes
No of observers: 0

Location: Kings Bay, GA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Changed Color, Landed

yellow ball of light changin to yellow/orange when changing directions

Date: early July, 1976, I no longer remember the exact date. I believe it was a Sunday.

Time: 11:45pm-midnight
Location: driving south on highway 95 is SE Georgia, near Kings Bay, approximately 20 minutes north of the Florida border
Observer Background: White male, age 24, in military (Navy), aviation electronics technician, honors college student, married 1 child at the time; living in Jacksonville Florida; only observation in life; generally a disbeliever until this event
Witnesses: In my vehicle – my wife’s brother who slept through most of it That specific event – at least 100 observed Leading up to that event - Hundreds, possibly thousands Description: Glowing/pulsing round ball of yellow light, turning yellow/orange when changing directions, then back to yellow. Approximate sixe was up to 50’ diameter. No sound, no disturbance of ground objects – just a big yellow ball. Weather was clear, bright moon-light night with only a couple thin clouds far off in the distance.

Encounter:

1.0-While driving south on highway 95, I witnessed a glowing/pulsing yellow ball of light on or very near the ground across the opposite side of the highway. The ball of light was visible for over a mile while approaching, and was located approximately 100 yards into the woods on the east side of the road. The woods consisted of a pine tree farm with very specific rows/density of pine trees. The light provided by the object was bright enough to establish a clear definition of the numbers of rows and size of trees (established distance into the woods) for a fairly accurate guesstimate of its size and location.

2.0-I slowed my vehicle to a crawl to get a better look at the object and pulled off the right side of the road. I sat in the vehicle, observing the object (Okay, staring in disbelief) for approximately 30 seconds with the window rolled up, but decided to roll it down to listen for sound – there was none. I continued to sit in the van for approximately another minute and noticed in my rear view mirror, several (4-5) other cars behind me with passengers watching the object. When the driver of the car behind me got out of his car, I also got out and began walking across the highway with him towards the object. It was at that time I realized several cars (5-6) had also stopped on the opposite side of the road, closer to the object. None of those occupants appeared to be out of their automobiles. During this time, many (20-30) cars also slowed down to look, but did not stop.

3.0-Before I got across the road (south-bound lanes of highway 95), the object changed from pulsing yellow to solid yellow/orange and began a slow but steady rise out of the trees. At this point all automobile occupants who had left their vehicles immediately returned to them, with most driving away at very high rates of speed. I decided to stay, after running as fast as I could back to my vehicle. The object hovered above the trees and immediately returned to a pulsing yellow. The hovering lasted approximately another 20 seconds. During that time all but one or two of the other cars left the area but many more slowed down to watch without stopping. There continued to be no sound coming from the object.

4.0-The object again turned yellow/orange and began to move away at a slow speed. It moved in a southerly direction at a consistent altitude of approximately 200-300 feet above the trees. There was absolutely no sound and no tree movement under the object. I started my vehicle and began to follow the object south on 95. After about 1 minute of stable, horizontal flight, the object turned yellow/orange again, and abruptly stopped. It hovered above the trees, returning to yellow. It was no longer pulsing but was a consistent bright yellow. It hovered there long enough for me to catch up to its location and pull off the road again. This required less than 15 seconds.

5.0-As I was pulling my vehicle off the road, the object again turned a yellow/orange and began a slow ascent, at approximately the same speed as it was travelling horizontally south. The yellow/orange turned back to all yellow almost immediately. The object continued to rise for approximately 10 seconds, when it turned yellow/orange again.

6.0-From where I was sitting in the vehicle, on an elevated overpass, I could see out to the eastern horizon with sufficient clarity to make out land, water, and thin/small clouds with help from a near full moon. The object, which had returned to yellow/orange momentarily, then back to yellow, sped away completely over the horizon, behind the clouds, reappearing again after them, all in less than 2 seconds. No sound, nothing – just gone. At a speed I had never seen or imagined possible.

After Encounter:

1.0-Because I had an established habit of ridiculing people who had claims of seeing UFOs, I told no one of the encounter, until it began showing up on the news and in the newspapers. Based on what they reported, this, or an identical object had been seen all across the southern United States during that weekend – from Arizona to SE Georgia. It had been witnessed by hundreds, possibly thousands of people according to the news reports. I believe this may also be the UFO reported seen by President Jimmy Carter in 1976, a Georgia resident at that time. It’s been too long to remember why I thought that. I do remember his Playboy interview where he disclosed that he had seen a UFO.

2.0-Approximately 3 days after the sighting, another person located where I work admitted to seeing the object but had hesitated to admit it because of the stigma associated with seeing a UFO. I asked him for a description and location and he described the EXACT object in exact detail, flying almost exactly the same – west to east, yellow except when changing directions, on the ground, then hovering, ascending, and then disappearing over the horizon at unbelievable speed. His location and time was approximately 10:30pm in south western Georgia. He was returning from a trip to Atlanta.

3.0-I admitted to seeing the same object and provided the crew at work with the description provided here – and of course received the appropriate amount of heckling. I never mentioned it to anyone other than my wife again until now.

NUFORC Note:

Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD

Posted 2011-01-31