Albert Ostman

Albert Ostman (circa 1893 – 1975)[1] was a Canadian prospector who reported that he was abducted by a Sasquatch and held captive for six days.[2] He stated that the event took place near Toba Inlet, British Columbia in 1924.[3] On August 20, 1957, police magistrate A.M. Naismith wrote an affidavit which states "...I found Mr. Ostman to be a man of sixty-four years of age; in full possession of his mental faculties. Of pleasant manner and with a good sense of humor. I questioned Mr. Ostman thoroughly in reference to the story given by Mr. Green. I cross-examined him and used every means to endeavor to find a flaw in either his personality or his story, but could find neither..."[4][5] Albert Ostman also signed a Solemn Declaration indicating that his account of the Sasquatch story was true under oath and by virtue of the Canadian Evidence Act.[5][6]

The story

In 1924, Albert Ostman, a lumberjack and tough woodsman, went to the area for a vacation. Ostman had heard stories about the "man beasts" who supposedly roamed these woods but refused to believe them.[7] As Ostman lay asleep one evening a Sasquatch purportedly picked him up and carried him off while he was in his sleeping bag.[8] Ostman was carried in his sleeping bag across country for 3 hours by the Sasquatch.[9] The Sasquatch dropped Ostman down on a plateau. Standing around him was a family of 4 of the creatures.[10] Albert was kept captive by the Sasquatch.[11] The captors were 3 adults and a child which held Ostman captive for six days.[12] One of the Bigfoots was reported as being 8 feet tall.[13] Ostman did not use his gun on them as they had done him no harm.[14] He stayed with the Bigfoot family for a week.[15] Ostman ate "sweet tasting grass" that they gave him.[16] According to Ostman the female Sasquatch washed and stacked leaves.[17] Albert escaped by making the large male Sasquatch groggy by feeding him some snuff.[18] He did not tell his story for more than 24 years after it happened for fear of being thought of as crazy.[19][20] As more Sasquatch stories appeared in the press Albert decided to tell his story to a local newspaper in 1957.[21]

Influence

Bigfoot advocates

Many Bigfoot advocates such as John Green cite the story as evidence for the existence for Bigfoot.[5]

Children's literature

The Albert Ostman story has been cited as a good nonfiction story to get children excited about reading.[22] The Boy Scouts of America have featured the story in their magazine Boys' Life Magazine.[21]

Media appearances

The event has been retold in numerous books, magazine stories, and television programs.

Television appearances

Movie appearances

Criticism

In 2007, the skeptic Joe Nickell characterized the story as "more likely the result of imagination than of recollection".[23] Critics of Ostman note that he did not make the event public until 1957, thirty three years after he said it took place.[24] Primatologist John Napier states that "Ostman's story fails to convince me primarily on the grounds of the limited food resources available."[25] Bigfoot researcher Peter Byrne cannot accept Ostman's story without more evidence.[26]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Guittilla, Peter (2003). The Bigfoot Files. Timeless Voyager Press. p. 29. ISBN 9781892264152.
  2. ↑ Laks Gorman, Jacqueline (2003), Bigfoot, Gareth Stevens Publishing, p. 4
  3. ↑ Loren Coleman (November 24, 2009). Bigfoot!: The True Story of Apes in America. Pocket Books. p. 190. ISBN 978-1-4391-8778-4.
  4. ↑ A.M. Naismith (August 20, 1957), affidavit.
  5. 1 2 3 Green John, On The Track of the Sasquatch. Cheam Publishing. 1968
  6. ↑ A.M. Naismith (August 20, 1957), Solemn Declaration.
  7. ↑ Juanita Rose Violini (October 1, 2009). Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored. Weiser Books. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-60925-090-4. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  8. ↑ Christopher Bader; Frederick Carson Mencken; Joseph Baker (January 1, 2010). Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture. NYU Press. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-8147-8642-0. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  9. ↑ Life Magazine Vol. 64 No. 13. Time Inc., March 29, 1968
  10. ↑ "none". Boys Life Magazine. The Boy Scouts of America. October 1980. p. 34.
  11. ↑ "none". Weekly World News. April 28, 1981. p. 20.
  12. ↑ Rory Storm (November 4, 2008). Monster Hunt: The Guide to Cryptozoology. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-4027-6314-4.
  13. ↑ Michael Burgan (July 1, 2004). Bigfoot. Capstone. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-7368-2715-7. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  14. ↑ Lionel & Patricia Fanthorpe (October 4, 2010). The Big Book of Mysteries. Dundurn. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-77070-456-5. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  15. ↑ Therese Shea (October 30, 2005). Bigfoot. Rosen Classroom. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-4042-5675-0. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  16. ↑ M. Halpin; Marjorie, M; Ames, Michael (1980). Manlike monsters on trial: early records and modern evidence. University of British Columbia. p. 225.
  17. ↑ Philip Spencer (July 2008). The Wildman of Kentucky: The Mystery of Panther Rock. Reality Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-934588-38-3.
  18. ↑ Bil Gilbert (January 1, 2004). Natural Coincidence: The Trip from Kalamazoo. University of Michigan Press. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-472-02546-6. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  19. ↑ Walker Kathryn (2009). Mysteries of Giant Humanlike Creatures. Crabtree Publishing.
  20. ↑ Nelson Yomtov (January 1, 2011). Tracking Sea Monsters, Bigfoot, and Other Legendary Beasts. Capstone. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-4296-4817-2. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  21. 1 2 "none". Boys Life Magazine The Magazine For All Boys. The Boy Scouts of America. July 1991. p. 27.
  22. ↑ A. Baxter; Kathleen, Kochel; Marcia Agness (1999). Gotcha!: nonfiction booktalks to get kids excited about reading. Greenwood Publishing. p. 82.
  23. ↑ Nickell, Joe (January–February 2007). "Mysterious entities of the Pacific Northwest, Part I". Skeptical Inquirer. 31 (1): 21.
  24. ↑ David J. Daegling (2004). Bigfoot Exposed: An Anthropologist Examines America's Enduring Legend. Rowman Altamira. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-7591-0539-3.
  25. ↑ Debenat, Jean-Paul, L. Murphy, Christopher (2009), Sasquatch/Bigfoot and the Mystery of the Wild Man: Cryptozoology & Mythology.
  26. ↑ Rick Emmer (2010), Bigfoot: Fact Or Fiction?, InfoBase Publishing..
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