NUFORC Sighting 147220

Occurred: 1965-06-30 20:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2019-07-02 13:35 Pacific
Duration: 10 minutes
No of observers: 4

Location: St. Paul, VA, USA

Shape: Unknown
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

A bright directional light at low altitude

My friend and I were going into the woods to hunt with our dog. It was a very dark night with no moon, around 8 to 9 pm, the best I can recollect.

We had just left my friend's house when we noticed a very bright light, like a search beacon, being directed toward the ground. We were in a very wooded area in the mountains of western Virginia. The light came from our left, do not know the magnetic direction, and moved very slowly toward us. The hills are very steep in that area and it was no more than 300 feet above the ground. It was following the valley between the hills. With the dark sky we were unable to make out a shape.

The object came very close to our location and was totally silent. Being dumb teens, we were scared, and considered firing our guns in its direction. We had second thoughts, as it might have had weapons as well. We thought maybe it was a hot air balloon, but no flame was seen, and now I know that balloons don't fly at night, especially in the mountains at low altitude.

Before it was out of sight we ran back to his house and called his mother and another person there to come out and see it. They witnessed it and were as awe struck as we were. Eventually it passed out of sight over the next ridge. It was moving still quite slowly. We tried to fathom what we had just seen and figured that was the end of this experience, but it wasn't. No more than a couple of minutes later, we looked up to see two jets following the same path streak overhead at low altitude. I surmised it must had been Norad interceptors that had been alerted and responded. Of course the government never announces this type of thing.

The next day on the school bus we told some people what we saw and a few said they saw it as well. Several of the guys made fun of us, and so we never brought it up again. This is the only encounter I have had personally, but as a former police dispatcher, I had received a couple o! f reports from other sightings. One was in Florida, where I live now, a woman called about an object hovering over her vehicle as she headed east after leaving the Florida turnpike. She said it followed her for a short way just above her car. I have talked to thousands of people as a dispatcher and some people you talk to, you just know they are sincere. This lady was very frightened and sounded very credible.

My sighting happened over 50 years ago, and yet is still imprinted in my memory.

((

NUFORC Note:

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

Posted 2019-07-05