Florida UFO Sightings
1949-01-27-1949 Cortez-Bradenton, FL
Jan. 27, 1949; Cortez-Bradenton, Florida. 10:20 p.m. Witnesses: Capt. Sames, acting chief of the Aircraft Branch, Eglin AFB, and Mrs. Sames. They watched for 25 minutes while a cigar-shaped object as long as two Pullman cars and having seven lighted square windows and throwing sparks, descended and then climbed with a bouncing motion at an estimated 400 m.p.h.
1965: UFO INJURES A GUIDE IN THE EVERGLADES
On March 15, 1965, "James W. Flynn, 45, was training hunting dogs in the Everglades when at about 1 a.m. he saw a cone-shaped UFO hovering about 200 feet over some cypress trees. The UFO moved rapidly and changed positions several times, and Flynn thought it was a helicopter until he looked at it through binoculars." "Then, thinking it was 'some new device from Cape Kennedy' (now back to its original name of Cape Canaveral--J.T.), perhaps in trouble, he tried to approach and offer help." "The cone-shaped object appeared to be almost 25 feet high and had four tiers of windows emitting a yellowish glow. Flynn could hear a noise like 'a diesel generator,' which disturbed one of his dogs 'who was howling in his cage and trying to get out.'" "Within 200 yards of the UFO, Flynn jumped out of his swamp buggy (shallow draft boat propelled by an airplane engine--J.T.) waving his arms. At that point, the UFO emitted a jet-like noise and a blast of wind that knocked him off-balance." "As he continued to approach within a few yards, the UFO emitted a light beam like a welder's torch and Flynn blacked out." "'I felt a blow like a sledgehammer between the eyes--and that's all I know,' he told the local newspaper. "When he awoke, the UFO was gone and his vision was severely impaired. Flynn sought aid from an Indian acquaintance who helped him back to Fort Myers. Flynn required medical treatment and had a small dark spot on his forehead. He suffered impaired vision in one eye, numbness and loss of hearing." "Extensive physical trace evidence was found at the site, including an area of burnt sawgrass 72 feet in diameter." (See the Fort Myers, Fla. News-Press for March 18, 1965. Also UNINVITED GUESTS by Richard Hall, Aurora Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1988, pages 250-251.)
Two witnesses while driving north on US 19 near Port Richey observed a bright orange flash in a cloud in the sky and this was followed by the descent ofthree bright orange crescent shapedobjects. They made a perfect vertical descent. Each one of them appeared to be trailing some kine of smoke. They lost track of them after they passed behind buildings and trees along the highway. They described them as being large and at cloud level. The sighting lasted for one minute.
Two witnesses driving along a road near their residence observed a big bright yellow light in a stationary position over her neighbors house. The driver flashed the high beam of the car off andon toward the object and the objectinstantly took off at a high rate of speed just like a rocket across the sky.The estimated distance was 500 yards at roof top level and was observed for 20 seconds.
June 1988
UFO seems to be buzzing the town of Gulf Breezes in the Florida Panhandle. Andrus, who spent four days in the Pensacola suburb at the request of MUFON State Director Donald Ware, reports that a gentleman who wishes to remain anonymous has taken 16 "amazingly clear and detailed" polaroid photos of the object, as well as a Beta videotape. The object is reportedly of the classic disk variety. Adding to the mystery, another anonymous photographer sent his entire 35mm camera to a newspaper with undeveloped film inside. Whent developed, the film showed the same object. Andrus says that efforts are being made to coax the photographer out of the closet. He acknowledged that it could be the same chap as the one who took the polaroids, but adds that there are several other independent witnesses to the sightings.Other hotspots which seem to be flaring up include the Texarkana, Arkansas, area, and parts of Michigan, Georgia, and (shades of NIGHT SIEGE), the Hudson Valley. No one is declaring a UFO flap at this stage, however, that may be partially due to caution by local MUFON investigators not to muddy the waters with "copycat" reports.
3/29/89 CAPE CORAL, FL. 6:35 PM NL
Single witness Triangular formation of bright white lights emerge from dark clouds. In sight, 25 to 30 seconds. Appeared not to be attached to structure.
5/01/89 WARRINGTON, FL. 8:45 pm CE1 Single witness Thirty foot, "bow-tie". No sound. 2 min.
5/02/89 GULF BREZE, FL. EVEN. NL Multiple witness Two groups of people saw obj. w/ red, white and grn. lites.
11/02/89 GULF BREEZE, FL. 9:40 PM 2 wit. Humming 5 min. Three bell-shaped objects, gray-blue, illuminated.
11/02/89 WHISPER BAY, FL. 9:30 PM 2 wit. Humming Three bell-shaped objects, gray-blue, illuminated.
11/15/89 GULF BREEZE, FL. 9:00 PM 2 wit. No sound 6 sec. Beige cigar, 20-40' long went behind trees.
11/15/89 SHORELINE PARK, FL. Strange circular depression found. Note prior sighting.
11/30/89 PENSACOLA, FL. 6:30 PM 6 wit. No sound Huge glowing object hoovered over Gulf, then moved west.
11/30/89 MIDWAY AREA, FL. 10:00 PM 1 wit. No sound 7 min. Car, EM effects, 2 very large triangular objects, 100' above ground.
March 7, 1998
James J. of Cocoa Beach, Fla. (population 12,123), a city 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Cape Canaveral, says he witnessed the flyover of two UFOs on Saturday, March 7, 1998, followed by the launch of two D-25 Trident missiles from a U.S. Navy submarine. "I saw those UFOs as well around 6:45 that evening," James reported. "I thought they were UFOs because I've had three sightings in the past six months." "It was dusk. I saw two white glowing lights as if they were (enveloped) in a cloud. As I traveled south on (Highway) A1A in Cocoa Beach, the objects hovered and fled. Then I noticed something. Contrails coming up from the ocean. I have a friend at the Kennedy Space Center, and she said there were no launches scheduled for that day." "We saw the contrails (again) a couple of days later," he reported, adding that "no scheduled launches" were set for that day, either. "Florida Today claimed that the Navy was conducting missile tests over the area." Bermuda's Royal Gazette of March 10, 1998 stated that the missiles had been launched from the Trident submarine USS West Virginia.
March 17, 1998
LARGE V-SHAPED UFO FLIES OVER NARCOOSSEE, FLORIDA
On Tuesday, March 17, 1998, Channel 9, an ABC affiliated TV station in Orlando reported that a large UFO "shaped like an L," i.e. a broad V or boomerang shape, "with bright white lights" had flown over the small town of Narcoossee, Florida. Located on the shores of East Lake Tohopekaliga, on Florida Highway 15, Narcoossee is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Orlando. According to McEllis Winterfield, "many people" witnessed "the UFO seen in the shape of an L," and "one lady lost 11 chickens to unknown causes-- they just died on the spot--as the UFO flew over her house." (Many thanks to Steve Wilson Sr. for forwarding this report.)
March 18, 1998 FLORIDA
SEBRING: Josh Harris reports he observed a UFO from 10:00 to 10:30 PM on March 18, 1998. Josh states, "At first I saw six bright orange lights in the north east sky that disappeared. Four lights in a line appeared then lit up in the eastern sky, then also disappeared. Back at the original location eight new lights appeared, four lights were in line with four more in a line beneath them. Josh's number is: 941-699-5369, Sebring, FL
On Friday evening, March 20, 1998, Don and Cindy Rash saw a UFO in their hometown of Gulf Breeze, Fla. (population 5,530), located in the Florida panhandle 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Pensacola. They described the object as "a disc with lights all around it" hovering "over the big bridge" connecting Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Beach. This was Don Rash's second UFO sighting of the month.
That morning, Friday, March 20, 1998, John S., his wife and his son were "driving west on (Interstate Highway) I-4 approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) outside of Orlando at 7:45 a.m. when I witnessed something in the sky overhead." Orlando (population 164,693) is located 229 miles (366 kilometers) north of Miami. "It was a grayish vapor trail that moved to the right, left, right, then left again, all in what appeared like quarter-mile (0.6 kilometer) increments," he reported. "This was right over the interstate. It looked like some drivers noticed it because I saw some looking up as we passed them. I couldn't see a shape or anything flying at the end of the trail (contrail). Also, it didn't seem like it was turning but more like changing directions back on itself."
March 21, 1998
Jeff Ritzmann, a Maryland man vacationing in Florida, spotted a UFO while standing outside Chan's Cafe, located in the Best Western Hotel near Gulf Breeze, Fla. According to columnist Carole Baker of the Pensacola Beach Islander, Ritzmann grabbed his camcorder and "shot an approximate 13-second video of a UFO flying from west to east between Pensacola Beach and Gulf Breeze...The video shows a bright white/silver object traveling quite fast across the sky. Toward the end of the video, the object seems to tilt, or turn, showing a bright flash as it catches the sun's rays. After that, it appears to fade, probably turning away, it pursues and erratic course until it is out of sight. This object does not appear to be an airplane approaching Pensacola airport, since its speed and altitude are too high and fast" for a conventional aircraft.
March 23, 1998
Florida authorities closed Highway 192 in Holipaw, about five miles (8 kilometers) north of Narcoossee, the site of the March 17 flyover of a V-shaped UFO. The highway was closed following a head-on collision between a pickup truck and a semi-tractor trailer hauling a load of chemicals. The crash took place near the intersection of Highways 192 and 441. The semi spilled an unspecified quantity of the chemical Dithan. As a result, the authorities began hazardous material (HAZMAT) clean-up procedures. Highway 192 in Holipaw was supposed to remain closed "for a day." However, on Wednesday, March 25, authorities said the road would remain closed "until sometime tomorrow."
Ufologist Daniel Cox pointed out that Holipaw, Fla. is in a "rural, wooded and swampy" area, adding, "Closing of Highway 192 in this vicinity, near the intersection of Highways 192 and 441, effectively eliminates all civilian traffic in the region, at least as far as primary roads are concerned." This has led some UFO buffs to wonder if a saucer landed early last week in Holipaw.
Each night from Monday, March 23, to Friday, March 27, "a crew of five to ten people harvesting palms at night have been seeing lights in the sky an estimated 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers)" north of Lake Okeechobee, according to Jean Brown of Tampa Bay MUFON.
March 25, 1998
A newspaper reporter from Sebring, Fla. spotted mysterious lights in the sky over Highway 60 as he was driving to Lake Wales (population 9,670), a city 53 miles (85 kilometers) east of Tampa.
March 27, 1998
The operations manager at the U.S. Air Force's Avon Park Bombing Range informed Ms. Brown that "for the past two weeks, the Air Force has been dropping flares attached to parachutes, two at a time, for A-10s at high altitude testing night vision goggles. He said testing was supposed to end last night (Thursday, March 26), andthat they have received many calls as these flares have been seen from Lake Wales south."(Many thanks to Jean Brown, Carole Baker, Danny Cox, Josh Harris, Courtland Lewis, Steve Wilson Sr. and others for these Florida reports.)
FLORIDA:
On Tuesday, May 12, 1998 a triangle shaped craft was seen hovering over the Gulf of Mexico for several minutes near Ft. Walton Beach. Three lights were visible on all three points of the triangle as well as a single beam of light that was shining down to the surface of the water. Four air force jets (probably from near by Eglin AFB) were also seen attempting to intercept the craft which immediately left the area. The next day "frogmen" were seen in the area where the light had been seen shining down to the ocean. This was witnessed by numerous people both from shore as well as individuals on a sail boat around 10:00 to 11:00 PM. Thanks to C. Leigh Culver ISUR. Editor's note: The Air Force claims that C-130 aircraft were dropping flares and conducting exercises on the nights of May 12, 13, and 14 and that may have caused confusion regarding the sightings. The investigation will continue.