US Coastguard report - UFOs over Lake Erie.

"Be advised the object appears to be landing on the lake...There are other objects moving around it. Be advised these smaller objects are going at high rates of speed."

Really interesting UFO case from March 4th, 1988 in which several people including U.S. Coastguards witnessed a huge, gunmetal gray football-shaped object over Lake Erie - the object was said to be 'landing' on the lake and was reported to have released 5 or 6 bright yellow triangular objects which 'darted around independently' (some of which flew towards the Perry Nuclear Power plant).



Newspaper article:

Report published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on July 12, 1992:


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Space Case: The Night the Coast Guard Got Buzzed,Lake Erie, March 4, 1988

Sheila and Henry Baker were driving home with their three children about 8:35 p.m., after going out to dinner. As they neared the waterfront, Sheila noticed something hovering over the lake and they drove down to the beach to investigate and got out of the car. The moon was bright and there was ice on the lake; Sheila could hear it cracking like claps of thunder.

Plainly visible was a huge, gunmetal gray football-shaped object that was rocking back and forth, blinding white light emanating from both ends, but it was silent. Then the object began moving, swinging one end toward the shore and descending. The Bakers became frightened, ran back to their car and fled. When they got home, the object was still visible from a window that faced the lake. The object moved out over the ice and continued to descend, with red and blue lights now flashing in sequence along its lower edge. Sheila then called the Eastlake police to report a UFO, and was finally referred to the Coast Guard.

Suddenly 5 or 6 bright yellow triangular objects shot out of the center of the large object and began darting around independently. Once they stopped and hovered, point up, around the parent object, then sped away to the north, turned east, then inland toward the Perry nuclear power plant.

At this point Sheila called the Coast Guard, which sent a team to their house to investigate. Seaman James Power and Petty Officer John Knaub arrived towing a Boston Whaler, a seaworthy boat. When Sheila pointed to the main craft and some of the triangular objects still zipping around it, the men drove closer to the lake to investigate, accompanied by the Bakers. At the lakefront they could hear the ice rumbling and roaring.

In their incident report later sent by teletype to the Coast Guard headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, the men were quoted as saying that "the ice was cracking and moving abnormal amounts as the object came closer to it."

Power and Knaub gave a running report to their base via the two-way radio in their Chevy Suburban on what they were seeing. The window was down, and the Bakers overheard them saying words to the effect, "Be advised the object appears to be landing on the lake...There are other objects moving around it. Be advised these smaller objects are going at high rates of speed. There are no engine noises and they are very, very low."

One of the triangles zoomed straight toward the Coast Guard vehicle, a blur of light, then veered east, straight up, and came down beside the parent object. Two witnesses in separate locations also reported seeing the triangles. Suddenly the triangles returned and one by one entered the side of the parent object as it seemed to land on the ice. The ellipse flashed a series of red, blue, and yellow lights, the light emanating from the end of the object turned from white to red, and the triangles re-emerged and hovered above it. The noise from the ice abruptly ceased, and the lights and triangles disappeared.

History Channel UFO Hunters cover Lake Erie incident (found at 4:00):






U.S. Coastguard Government documents:

..THEY WATCHED THE OBJECTS FOR APPROX. 1 HOUR BEFORE REPORTNG THAT THE LARGE OBJECT WAS ALMOST ON THE ICE. THEY REPORTED THAT THE ICE WAS CRACKING AND MOVING ABNORMAL AMOUNTS AS THE OBJECT CAME CLOSER TO IT. THE ICE WAS RUMBLING AND THE OBJECT LIT MULTI-COLOR LIGHTS AT EACH END AS IT APPARENTLY LANDED. THE LIGHTS ON IT WENT OUT MOMENTARILY AND THEN CAME ON AGAIN. THEY WENT OUT AGAIN AND THE RUMBLING STOPPED AND THE ICE STOPPED MOVING. THE SMALLER OBJECTS BEGAN HOVERING IN THE AREA WHERE THE LARGE OBJECT LANDED AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THEY BEGAN FLYING AROUND AGAIN. MOBILE 02 RPTD THAT THEY APPEARED TO BE SCOUTING..

Full Image

Sceptical explanation - the objects were Jupiter and Venus seen through swamp gas:

"The document confirms that members of the Coast Guard saw a group of strange objects cavorting on and near the icy surface of Lake Erie. A local astronomer attempted to explain the sightings as resulting from the apparent conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in the night sky, coupled with "spontaneous gas emissions" caused by viewing the conjunction through the Earth's atmosphere".

Series of heated correspondences criticizing the sceptical position:

link

Ufologie criticism:

"Once questioned by a ufologist who informed them of this case, academic scientists who qualify themselves as skeptics said that this case has a "rational" explanation: The Bakers and the guard-coasts have experienced "a misindification of the planets Venus and Jupiter, which appeared close together that night." No argument was presented in favour of this thesis, except that it was said to be "rational," probably as opposed to any notion of visiting extraterrestrial craft, which is probably a concept to categorize as "irrational."

When this ufologist who was aware of the specifics of the case wanted more explanations for the notion that the witnesses had observed Venus, the aforementioned skeptics answered that the witnesses see ordinary phenomena like Venus and mistake them for extraterrestrial spacecraft. When the ufologist asked if the skeptics would be willing to better consider the case, pointing out, among other things, that Venus could not be seen because it was hidden by the mountains which border the location, the skeptics ended the discussion".

link

Summation by Richard Dolan:

Whatever the cause of the March 5 sighting, to attribute the events of March 4 to Venus and Jupiter goes well beyond the boundaries of credibility. MUFON, to its credit, continued to investigate the sighting, even placing a classified ad in the newspaper looking for witnesses. The tactic worked; others did come forward, including Cindy Hale, Tim Keck, and others. All of these people described UFO activity from that night between 10 and 10:30 p.m., and all described triangles. Bruce Maccabee analyzed Keck’s photograph, determining that it was a legitimate image of an unexplained object. Years later, Shiela and Henry Baker remained adamant about what they saw.

Amazingly, according to Hudson Valley-based UFO researcher Philip Imbrogno, a number of triangular objects were seen by multiple witnesses near the Indian Point nuclear facility in New York State on March 4, 1988 – that is, the same night as the sightings in Ohio. Not much in the way of followup occurred, however, and little else is known of the incident.

Due to the caliber of the witnesses, the official documentary evidence, the photographic evidence, and the intrinsic nature of the event itself, the Lake Erie UFO incident must be considered one of the most compelling UFO events in modern history. All evidence points to the conclusion that an intelligently operated and enormous object came down over the Lake Erie ice; that this object released several bright triangles that flew beyond the ability of any known aircraft; that these triangles were interested in the nearby nuclear facility; that they interacted with the witnesses who observed them; that the Coast Guard officials were convinced the event was something important; that the Coast Guard itself was prevented from pursuing this incident by higher agencies; and that the matter was successfully disabled by the national security apparatus and the media.

link

Other Links:

ufos.about.com...
www.mortyscabin.net...

reply to post by karl 12


very interesting report. I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland and nothing exciting like this ever happened to me. Always wrong place, wrong time I guess.

Thanks for posting this.

reply to post by network dude


Networkdude, thanks for the reply -this does seem to be quite a strange UFO incident with some very unusual eyewitness descriptions - the sceptical explanation also appears to be a bit of a weak one and leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
It looks like there were two other separately located witnesses -one of which saw the object through a telescope and managed to take some photographs (which are now in the possession of MUFON).
Its also interesting that both these witnesses say their pet dogs were behaving strangely and the activity seemed to be concentrated near the Nuclear facility (Link).

Witness testimony

On the same night (March 4th) at about 10:00 P.M., and continuing until approximately 10:30 P.M., C.H. (name and address provided to MUFON) also reported a UFO near her home, which is a few miles south of the lake shore and just east of the Perry Nuclear Plant. C.H. was walking a puppy when she noticed the stationary triangular object in the southeasterly sky. It was much brighter than the moon, and seemed to upset the puppy, which she took back indoors. Returning outdoors, she reported that the object began sequentially flashing multi-colored lights, suspended in rows below the base of the triangle. The witness responded by flashing her cigarette lighter and the UFO's light pattern became more erratic. At one point, the triangle revolved clockwise, turning its apex about 90 degrees to a horizontal position, but still flashing the rows of light. After several minutes, it turned back counter-clockwise as it simultaneously accelerated away to the south at a high rate of speed, disappearing behind some trees. No noise or odor was reported

And

At about 10:30 P.M. that night T.K. (name and address provided to MUFON), took a photograph in his back yard, within a few miles of the Perry Nuclear Plant, showing a portion of a brightly lit triangular object travelling across the sky (Photograph in possession of MUFON). This object was later confirmed by Mr. and Mrs. B and C.H. to be identical to the triangular objects they were also observing about the same time a few miles away, and is also similar to one reported to Phil Imbrogno as having been near the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in New York State on the same night. T.K. and his friend were outdoors on the night of March 4th, observing the stars through his telescope. Venus and Jupiter were reported to be in the western sky behind a stand of trees. While looking southward through the telescope, out of the corner of his left eye, T.K. noticed a bright, moving object in the sky. He and his friend were awe-struck by the triangular object, but he did have the presence of mind to take 3 photographs with a small "snapshot" type camera loaded with Kodak 110 color film, with which they had intended to photograph stars through the telescope. Only one photograph turned out. It is the last in the series, taken while panning ahead of the object, and shows the front portion of the triangle. The ob ject was described as about 3-4 inches tall at arm's length and glowing an i ntense yellow/orange to white, with a bright orange/red glow behind it. It seemed to pulse brighter and dimmer, moving in a roughly southwesterly direction until it was obscured by trees. As it moved, it accelerated, slowed and accelerated again. No sound or smell was noted, although his dog had a strong reaction, running in circles and tugging on T.K.'s sleeve, apparently in an attempt to urge him away from the object.

www.mortyscabin.net...

Cheers.

[edit on 02/10/08 by karl 12]

Another very strange UFO reported over Lake Erie - witnessed by Sheriffs/townsfolk and also tracked on radar:

SHERIFFS WATCH HIGH-PERFORMANCE DISCS, ALSO TRACKED ON RADAR


March 14-20, 1966: Southeastern Michigan

From about 3:50 a.m. on March 14 and for 2-1/2 hours thereafter, Washtenaw County sheriffs and police in neighboring jurisdictions reported disc-shaped objects moving at fantastic speeds and making sharp turns, diving and climbing, and hovering. At one point, four UFOs in straight-line formation were observed. Selfridge AFB confirmed tracking UFOs over Lake Erie at 4:56 a.m.

Following is the log of "Complaint No. 00967" signed by Cpl. Broderick and Deputy Patterson of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department:

"3:50 a.m. Received calls from Deputies Bushroe and Foster, car 19, stating that they saw some suspicious objects in the sky, disc, star-like colors, red and green, moving very fast, making sharp turns, having left to right movements, going in a Northwest direction.

4:04 a.m. Livingston County [sheriff's department] called and stated that they also saw the objects, and were sending car to the location.

4:05 a.m. Ypsilanti Police Dept. also called stated that the object was seen at the location of US-12 and I-94 [intersection of a U.S. and an Interstate highway].

4:10. a.m. Monroe County [sheriff's department] called and stated that they also saw the objects...

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Statements:

Washtenaw County deputies B. Bushroe and J. Foster formally stated: "This is the strangest thing that [we] have ever witnessed. We would have not believed this story if we hadn't seen it with our own eyes. These objects could move at fantastic speeds, and make very sharp turns, dive and climb, and hover with great maneuverability. We have no idea what these objects were, or where they could have come from. At 4:20 a.m. there were four of these objects flying in a line formation, in a north westerly direction, at 5:30 these objects went out of view, and were not seen again."

Deputy Bushroe told the press: "It would swing back and forth like a pendulum, then shoot upward at tremendous speed, hover and then come down just as fast." Dexter police and Livingston County sheriffs, contacted by Bushroe and Foster, "reported that they saw the same objects engaging in the same maneuvers."

As he and other officers were rushing to the scene, Officer Robert Hartwell of the Dexter Police Department saw a luminous object buzz his car. Robert Taylor, Dexter Police Chief, said he watched an object in the field from Frank Mannor's home on a knoll overlooking the area. It appeared as a pulsating red, glowing object. Through binoculars he saw "a light on each end of the thing."

(Sheriffs' statements in NICAP files. See The U.F.O. Investigator, March-April 1966, pp. 5-6; Detroit News, March 14, 1966; LIFE Magazine, Apr. 1, 1966; Newsweek, Apr. 4, 1966.)

CLASSIC UFO CASES

[edit on 02/10/08 by karl 12]

Originally posted by karl 12
Sceptical explanation - the objects were Jupiter and Venus seen through swamp gas:

"The document confirms that members of the Coast Guard saw a group of strange objects cavorting on and near the icy surface of Lake Erie. A local astronomer attempted to explain the sightings as resulting from the apparent conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in the night sky, coupled with "spontaneous gas emissions" caused by viewing the conjunction through the Earth's atmosphere".

Wow, don't you believers love to embellish and twist wording. Where does it say "swamp gas" anywhere there?

[edit on 9-1-2010 by C.H.U.D.]

reply to post by C.H.U.D.


OK -I'll remove the word 'swamp'

"Sceptical explanation - the objects were Jupiter and Venus seen through gas"

The incident involves a large blimp-like object, "larger than the Goodyear blimp," which released up to a half dozen triangular-shaped lights and objects, in close proximity to the Perry nuclear power plant and Eastlake coal burning plant, and multiple independent witnesses, apparent animal reactions, as well as government documents, and hence qualifies for high-priority.

www.ufoera.com...

Now, other than labelling people 'believers' and posting embittered remarks, have you got anything constructive to add about the actual incident?

After reading all the eyewitness reports and government documents do you beleive the objects witnessed were planets?

[edit on 02/10/08 by karl 12]

What really bothers me is according to the report it was viewed for over an hour. In that time no one thought it would be a good idea to grab a camera or two and take some pictures? They could have had some news crews out in that amount of time.

Originally posted by Teabags
In that time no one thought it would be a good idea to grab a camera or two and take some pictures?

Teabags, thanks for the reply -if you read the second half of this report then it does mention that the witness who viewed the objects through his telescope did have the presence of mind to take some photographs - the images are now said to be in the possession of MUFON and I don't think they've ever been released (I can't find them anyway).
Cheers.

reply to post by karl 12


I think I made a valid point.

In return for your post that stereotyped skeptics as people that always "label UFOs as swamp-gas", I stereotyped believers as people that always mis-represent and twist evidence. Neither is true, but it makes my point.

I have not read all that you posted, but I know that people can claim to see all kinds of strange things when they see something they are unfamiliar with in the sky.

Weather or not these things were attributed to Jupiter/Venus/atmospheric conditions specifically I don't know for sure, but I think it's probably more likely than us being visited by ETs.

I am open to other theories, and if I get a chance I'll go through all the evidence you posted and comment further.

reply to post by karl 12


thanks for posting the story karl 12 , this is a very good report with coast guard personel that also became witnesses. after reading the description of what happened i don't see how anyone could have made a mistake and mis identified something here.

At this point Sheila called the Coast Guard, which sent a team to their house to investigate. Seaman James Power and Petty Officer John Knaub arrived towing a Boston Whaler, a seaworthy boat. When Sheila pointed to the main craft and some of the triangular objects still zipping around it, the men drove closer to the lake to investigate, accompanied by the Bakers. At the lakefront they could hear the ice rumbling and roaring.

In their incident report later sent by teletype to the Coast Guard headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, the men were quoted as saying that "the ice was cracking and moving abnormal amounts as the object came closer to it."

with all the USO reports that are on record, it makes you wonder if they like the water so much what do they do when it freezes ? can't get in or do they try and break the ice up to gain access ? hmmm....

something to think about , thanks again S&F

Lake Erie seems to be a hotspot of UFO activity:

Wired.com article - Lake Erie UFOs Are Stars on YouTube
Has several links to UFO videos, and even mentions ATS.

There was someone who had made a video of strange orbs over Lake Erie using a night-vision camera, the orbs sort of drifted lazily around, does anyone (karl12?) know about this video? It was on one of the national news shows a few years ago.

I would say it's burning garbage but I hear they've cleaned Erie up since I was last there.

anyone else old enough to remember when Lake Erie caught on fire?? lol at a lake catching fire

It was in 1969, and it wasn't the lake, it was the Cuyahoga river, and it was garbage from a barge that was on fire, not the polluted waters, although they were seriously polluted back then.

The lakes undergone a serious clean up since then, now if only they could do the same thing for Chesapeake Bay, which is probably the next body of water to "burst into flames".

reply to post by C.H.U.D.

A local astronomer attempted to explain the sightings as resulting from the apparent conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in the night sky, coupled with "spontaneous gas emissions" caused by viewing the conjunction through the Earth's atmosphere.

www.ufoera.com...

Swamp gas - spontaneous gas emissions - I don't think its something to get too worked up about, especially when you've just stated you haven't read the links about the report.

I'm sure misidentifications of planets do occur but then again I'm also sure debunkers use this excuse as a convenient scapegoat so they don't have to address all the facts surrounding many UFO cases - hell in one report a US Army engineer got sunburn from a UFO and debunkers still mindlessly accepted the USAF's 'Venus' explanation.

The White Sands Jeep Patrol Incident:

About 17 hours after the second jeep patrol sighting at White Sands, James Stokes, a high altitude research engineer at the base, watched an elliptical UFO maneuver over the area. Stokes also looked up and saw a large, whitish egg-shaped object moving in and out of clouds to the northeast, in the direction of the Sacramento Mountains, The UFO made a shallow dive, turned and crossed the highway a few miles ahead. As the UFO flashed by, Stokes felt a wave of heat.His face later appeared "sunburned".

Moving at fantastic speed, the featureless object turned sharply and disappeared over the Organ Pass west of the base. In a taped interview broadcast on station KALG, Stokes estimated the speed at 2500 mph.It was "definitely a solid object," he said.


USAF explanation:

Venus.

www.nicap.org...

There are many other (extremely dubious) examples here - do you really think it is any wonder that many people are highly sceptical of official UFO explanations?

Cheers.

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
There was someone who had made a video of strange orbs over Lake Erie using a night-vision camera, the orbs sort of drifted lazily around, does anyone (karl12?) know about this video? It was on one of the national news shows a few years ago.

Blackmarketeer,thanks for the reply -its not the footage shown on the video in the first post is it?

Cheers.

reply to post by karl 12


No, it wasn't History Ch, it was more a news program, I'll keep looking. The video was made by an amateur, it consisted of a night-vision view of the lake from the shore, I believe "Huntington Beach" was the location, and the video was of several glowing orbs that seemed to drift around. You could see them moving in and out of clouds, so it was not something close to the camera.

The videographer was trying to establish parties to come out and view the activity, much like Ed Grimsley was doing. He did go on record claiming the lights were drawn to him, so maybe he came across as a bit kooky.

Originally posted by easynow

In their incident report later sent by teletype to the Coast Guard headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, the men were quoted as saying that "the ice was cracking and moving abnormal amounts as the object came closer to it."

with all the USO reports that are on record, it makes you wonder if they like the water so much what do they do when it freezes ? can't get in or do they try and break the ice up to gain access ? hmmm....

Hey bud, this certainly is an interesting one and apparently its not the first time an unknown object has been reported smashing through the ice:

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USO Research

Cheers.

[edit on 02/10/08 by karl 12]

reply to post by karl 12

Thank you karl 12....thank you!

You have started a REAL UFO thread

I was getting lost in the reptilians & the faces in the forest & the aliens in the dust videos....

You've rescued me!

Cheers mate
Maybe...maybe not

This is the incident I've been referring to, turns out it was a hoax incident involving airport lights;

"Eastlake Man Defends UFO Video"
www.ufocasebook.com...

On ATS:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

It originally aired on Fox News, which is probably where I saw it.

Sorry for the distraction!