Falcon Lake Incident
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The Falcon Lake Incident occurred on May 20, 1967, when Stephen Michalak claimed that he encountered a unidentified flying object (UFO) near Falcon Lake, Manitoba, Canada. He claimed to have been burned by the craft's exhaust vent, which was covered by an ovular grid.
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[edit] Before the incident
Michalak was a resident of Winnipeg, Canada, but had taken a short vacation in the Whiteshell Provincial Park. He was quite familiar with the area, having prospected there on a number of occasions. He had been told that there were veins of quartz to be found near Falcon Lake. He was up early on May 19, leaving the hotel at 5:30 am. Around 9:00 am he had found a vein of the precious material, around 11:00 am he stopped for a lunch break, and then he soon resumed his digging.
[edit] The incident
Shortly after 12:00 p.m. Michalak’s concentration was disturbed by a noise similar to geese’s grunts. When he looked up, he spotted two cigar-shaped objects, which were red and brilliant as fire. They were descending at 45 degrees, as calculated by the witness. He also noticed that the closer they came the more oval they became.
One of the objects stopped in the air, while the other landed on a big rock 160 feet away from Michalak. After some moments, the object floating above Michalak changed its color to grey, and then flew directly west, disappearing through the clouds. The landed object also changed to grey, and then to a color similar to incandescent stainless steel.
From the interior opening of the object, some violet light rays were emitted. As Michalek was using special glasses to examine the quartz, the rays didn’t affect him. The object had a sulfurous smell, and a humming noise.
Half an hour passed, and Michalak still was observing the spaceship. Suddenly, a door opened and he could see that the interior of the UFO was very illuminated. He approached some meters and heard some voices coming from inside the ship.
Believing that the object was an experimental American flying object, he tried to make a contact in English. As no answers were given, he tried other languages in vain. Nervous, he walked to the open door, and saw a panel and some lights inside the ship.
He did not see anybody, so he waited. Suddenly, the door closed. Despite the surprise, he discovered a colorful glass around the UFO. It was very well-conserved, with no cracks. He attempted to touch it, but his glove simply melted, the heat hurting his hand through the glove's protection.
Quietly, a metallic box full of holes got off the UFO, what seemed to be a grid-like exhaust vent. A steamy explosion occurred, and some kind of gas was expelled in his direction. Immediately, his clothes started to burn. As the object flew after the other one, Michalak was left behind desperately trying to extinguish the fire. Fortunately, he still had several bottles of beer which he used to extinguish the flames.
[edit] After the incident
Once the fire was extinguished, Michalak felt pain and sickness and noticed a metallic odour from the inside of his body, like the smell of something electric that is burning. He tried to go to the motel, but he stopped several times, feeling sick. He was later treated upon arrival at a hospital. He initially claimed the burns were caused by airplane exhaust.
Michalak's family physician, R.D. Otaway, reported that Michalak was confused and dazed, but rational. Otaway further reported hair loss, and a series of raised oval-shaped sores on Michalak's chest and abdomen in a grid-like pattern, similar to a first-degree burn. The nature of these burns remained difficult to explain.
Health problems plagued Michalak for several months, including lack of appetite, weight loss, swelling, and fainting spells. A Mayo Clinic psychiatrist stated Michalak was free of "significant mental or emotional illness."
Michalak died in 1999, age 83.
[edit] Investigation of the encounter
By late June of 1967, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had taken an interest in Michalek's claims. They could not identify the site on their own, and on June 1st they brought Michalek with them. However, Michalek could not locate the site, which raised further doubts regarding his claim. The RCMP also confirmed that Michalek had consumed multiple bottles of beer the night before the sighting.
By June 26th, Michalek had located the site and recovered personal belongings he had left there. The RCMP obtained soil samples from the location, which they tested for radioactivity. The tests were positive.
On July 28th, Michalek and RCMP officers together identified a semi-circle on the rock face at the scene, 15 feet in diameter, where the moss had been somehow removed. There were traces of radiation in a fault in the rock across the center of the landing spot. No trace of radiation was found around the outer perimeter of the circle or in the moss or grass below the raised portion of the rock.
The radioactive material found in the rock fault was radium 226, a naturally occurring isotope in wide commercial use and also found in nuclear reactor waste. They concluded that the level of radiation posed no danger to humans in the area.
The Department of National Defence identifies the Falcon Lake case as unsolved.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) |
- The Falcon Lake Incident at About.com
- Michalak at Revista Vigília
- Canada's Unidentified Flying Objects: The Search for the Unknown at Library and Archives Canada
[edit] External links
- Unsolved Mysteries episode: 1967 Falcon Lake Incident (Part I) - Youtube
- Unsolved Mysteries episode: 1967 Falcon Lake Incident (Part II) - Youtube
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