St Francis 1986
Date/Time of Sighting: Sunday 07 Sep, 1986 - approx 1:30AM CDT
Place of Sighting: St. Francis, MN
Type of Report: CE1 or AN1
Date of Report: 09 Jan, 1999
Investigator: Craig R. Lang - Field Investigator, MN MUFON
Local Evaluation: CE1/AN1: Unexplained pending further investigation.
Sighting Background:
I was initially informed of the sighting at the MUFON conference in
June of 1998, by a relative of the witness. On noticing my name tag
indicating Minnesota, he informed me that his relative had seen an
object in the area of St. Francis, MN. He then gave me the name,
address and phone number of the witness. I later contacted the witness
and interviewed her. She described the events in this report. She
also indicated that there were a number of reports of this type of
object. Thus other witness may be available (Note: I am still
attempting to locate additional witnesses).
Witness Description:
The witness is a female, whose current age is 79 (age 67 at time of
sighting). She resides in a rural area north of the twin cities, near
the town of St. Francis, MN. She is retired, and now runs a business
with a partner in the Anoka/St. Francis area. She describes her
health and hearing as good. Her vision is 20/20. She indicates that
she has had no other anomalous sightings or experiences besides the
event in this report.
Sighting Account:
At approximately 1:30 AM on the morning of the sighting, the witness
was awakened by the sound of her dog barking. This was unusual, as the
dog was generally very calm and quiet. She also became aware of a
sound, which she likened to that of the warning beeps from a truck in
reverse. She then went to the kitchen and looked out the window, which
affords a clear view of the back yard
She observed the object hovering at approximately half way up to
treetop level. She indicated that she pulled the shade down, and as
she did, the object descended. When she pulled the shade back up, the
object ascended, as if in response. This up/down sequence was repeated
approximately 4 or 5 times.
The witness described the object as a well defined blue/white ball of
light. It had a diameter of approximately 4 feet, with well defined
edges. It slightly illuminated its immediate surroundings, but was
not extremely bright
She indicated that the object seemed to emanate a sound, which she
described as similar to that of a spinning top. She also noted that
the beeping sound was present when the object was descending. Also,
when the object descended, the intensity of dog's barking would
increase, whereas when the object ascended, the barking would subside.
The witness watched this object for up to 1/2 hour. She then decided
to go back to bed, although the object was still present. About 1/2
hour later, she looked out again and observed that it was gone, and
the dog had stopped barking.
Additional Witnesses:
Sometime later, (the next day, to a few days later) the witness was
called by a friend, who indicated that she had just seen an object
which also matched this same description. Unfortunately, this second
witness is no longer living. However this indicates that there may
have been additional witnesses as well. In addition, there are other
(unconfirmed) reports of similar phenomena in this area, in that
approximate time frame. We are attempting to locate any possible
additional witnesses.
Weather Conditions:
WX Conditions at 2400 Hours on 6 Sep, 1986:
Temp 48F Dew Pt: 42F Wind: 4 Kts from 320 degs
Visibility: 20mi Cloud cover: 0%
WX Conditions at 0300 Hours on 7 Sep, 1986: Windy and Rainy
(warm front?) Temp 48F Dew Pt: 44F Wind: 4 Kts from 240 degs
Visibility: 20mi Cloud cover: 100% with 4900 ft ceiling
The witness described the weather at the time as clear and warm at
1:30AM. Thus this might have been sometime shortly prior to arrival
of the front. The conditions at the time of the sighting would have
been those of increasing humidity, and an approaching weather front.
Manmade Phenomena Check:
Another possibility considered was that there might have been some
sort of utility vehicle driving through the back. This possibility
has TBD resolution. However, the witness was extremely doubtful that
a utility truck would have been driving backwards through her back
yard at 1:30 AM on a Sunday morning.
Sighting Evaluation:
CE1/AN1 - Presently unexplained Significance: Ordinary. Note: Will
be increased if additional witness or similar events are found. This
investigation is continuing. Home Page
Email: mydogbarks@msn.com
