The Louisiana Sightings – UFOs In The American Deep South

Louisiana, like all of the American South, is an enchanting place, full of legends and folklore. And, it would seem, UFO sightings in an apparent abundance. These sightings have happened for decades and continue today, but one particular two-month period in the late-1970s would see the skies over the bayou seemingly awash with strange, glowing lights that many Louisianans believed were cosmic visitors from another world.

While we will look at some of those sightings in a moment, a strange incident took place more recently in the early hours of 20^th December 2016 in the town of Kenner. Shortly before 5 am, the anonymous witness would hear a “loud booming-type” sound in the skies outside their home. When they stepped outside a “loud vibrating noise” was still audible. Then, they looked up to see a low-flying triangular shaped craft flying overhead. There were three bright lights on each corner of the craft, as well as various flashing lights on the underside. Having been alerted by the initial “boom” sound, the witness managed to capture several moments of footage of the strange object.

You can check out the video footage of the sighting below.

The 1977 Mini-Wave On The Bayou

Early in 1977, it would seem that UFO sightings went into overdrive for a short time, with activity reported all around the Bayou State. ^[1] On the 15^th January, for example, while driving along Judge Perez Highway, Peter Digangi and his wife witnessed strange bright lights in the sky. The lights hovered silently near a water tower and had the appearance of “three lights chained together”. The object remained in this position for around fifteen minutes before vanishing.

Just short of a week later on the 21^st January, Irwin Menesses and Robert Melerine would share a bizarre encounter while on their boat along the bayou near to the Yscloskey Shell refinery. As the two nutria hunters moved along the water, a huge light suddenly descended to about seventy feet above them. As it did so, the boat came to a complete stop. Even more bizarre, although the two men could speak to each other, they were unable to move. They would later describe the feeling as what “suspended animation” might feel like.

Suddenly, the light vanished and with it, whatever power it held over the men and their boat. The vehicle suddenly shot forward once free of the strange craft’s grip causing both men to lose their balance and fall to the small deck. They witnessed the strange object “inspect” the nearby refinery before heading to the Yscloskey water tower. In total, the light remained visible for around half-an-hour.

What is perhaps interesting about these two sightings is the apparent focusing of the lights on the water towers. We have examined before how a large number of UFO sightings always occur near open waters or a huge supply thereof.

Two Separate Sightings On The Same Night

The day after the encounter of the two men on the bayou came two more sightings on the evening of 22^nd January.

Mark Boudreaux was stood with his brother, Damian, on the porch of his house when the pair noticed “reddish-orange lights” making bizarre and spectacular moves in the skies over the western area of New Orleans. Due to Damian having had experience of working at the city’s airport, he was fairly certain it wasn’t a “conventional aircraft” they were viewing. He would state after the incident that the object “was much bigger and brighter and did things airplanes cannot do”.

Around the same time, in Chalmette just outside of the city, three adults and three children traveling to Jean Lafitte Parkway would witness a dome-shaped craft descend so low, it almost landed. As the passengers looked out of the car’s left-side windows, they could clearly make out red and yellow lights moving around the sky in a way unlike any aircraft any of them had seen before. Then, after around ten minutes it suddenly dived towards the ground. It disappeared into the trees of the forest near the side of the road. They would speed off immediately. Furthermore, they wouldn’t speak of the sighting to anyone until it became clear that many others in the state had seen similar things.

Three nights later on 25^th January came another strange sighting near the 1-10 Expressway. The witness, Claire Wetta, would describe the mysterious craft as cigar-shaped but “longer and narrower than the Goodyear Blimp”. She would also recall how two different shades of green emanated from the craft. It was only visible for around fifteen seconds before vanishing without warning.

More Sightings From The Louisiana Highways

After a brief respite from aerial anomalies, another report came in on the evening of 8^th February from Gayle Rodriguez, who along with her son, Brian, witnessed a strange craft as they were driving along St. Bernard Highway. The craft would fly in the same direction of the road that Rodriguez was heading. It was a distinct saucer-shape, with a flat bottom, a domed top with lights coming from it, and glowed a fantastic silver color. Around the edge of the craft was a row of lights that appeared to move as well as changing color from blue, to green, and then bright white. The craft was in sight for several seconds before vanishing from the area.

The day after, in Madison County in Mississippi along the Louisiana-Mississippi border, Deputy Sheriff Ken Creel and Deputy James Luke would respond to a UFO sighting near the small town of Flora. As they were making their way to the location, an unknown craft appeared out of nowhere and hovered over their patrol car no more than fifty feet above them. A bright light suddenly emerged from the craft and hit their vehicle causing their radio systems to malfunction. Furthermore, several other witnesses would back-up the two officers’ sighting.

One of these corroborating witnesses was Flora police officer, Hubert Roberts, who was sat in his parked car just off the main highway when the aerial anomaly appeared in view. He would flash his car headlights in an attempt to communicate with the strange craft. Roberts was certainly taken aback a little when the object responded by flashing two of its lights back to him. Shortly after it vanished at breakneck speed.

Increased Activity Over Lake Charles!

While the mini-wave of early-1977 was one of the busiest periods of UFO activity in the Louisiana area, the sightings still continue in the area today. One particular UFO hot-spot in the Bayou State would appear to be around Lake Charles. ^[2] For example, on 17^th January 2014, a duck-hunter witnessed a “bright star-shaped object” descend to the woodland on the water’s edge. He would watch the light move “erratically” over the water for several moments before it stopped and disappeared. A similar sighting occurred in November 2015 when a “star-shaped object” was seen moving back and forth over the water at “reasonable speed” before vanishing from sight.

Perhaps one of the most bizarre encounters occurred in February 2016, at least according to the anonymous report. The witness in question claims to have been at their home near to Lake Charles when an “electronic fog” appeared inside his house. This fog “stuck to his eyes”, blinding him temporarily. He would also report “beaming lights” emanating from this mysterious fog which caused his body to go into cramp.

One of the most convincing UFO sightings over the Lake Charles ^[3] area took place in late-August 2003. Stephanie Wilks would witness a “strange glowing object” which her mother managed to capture on film. It was just after 9 pm when the young woman spotted the orange lights hovering over a field that sits opposite the family home. Her father also witnessed the anomaly following his daughter’s calls to come and look. He would claim “there was definitely lights out there” but was unsure if they were part of a solid craft. In total, ten separate witnesses would go on record claiming to have witnessed the same lights as Stephanie.

The 1967 Old River Incident

Perhaps one of the most intriguing UFO sightings in Louisiana occurred over fifty years ago in January 1967, not least because it produced several photographs. ^[4] A trout fisher would capture the pictures. And while he was happy to make a report of the incident, he wished to remain anonymous. And out of the public eye.

As the unknown man sat in his boat on the Old River in Baton Rouge at around 4 pm, he noticed a strange object in the overcast sky heading in his direction. He instantly reached for the camera he always had with him on such trips. Having to rush his shot due to the speed of the object, he was caught off guard. When he finally did have it in the viewfinder it began “a rather slow turn to the right”. He pressed down on the shutter and captured the disc-like craft “at a 45-degree angle”. Before he could snap another picture, however, the object had vanished.

Several hours later, at around 9 pm he was checking on his lines. He suddenly became aware of an unusual sound like “a huge vacuum cleaner running full blast”. He moved his boat in the direction of the noise. Despite stopping and starting his boat engine several times, he was unable to locate where the sounds were coming from. By the time he arrived back at the main camp where he was staying, the sound was no longer audible. He would turn in for the night. The following day, however, he would encounter the object again.

Dead Fish and Startled Crows!

As he negotiated his boat along the waters the next morning he noticed how many dead fish littered the surface. It was normal to see a few dead fish on the water during such trips. However, he had never seen this many in one place before.

A short time later, he brought his boat to the bank. On the water’s edge, he started some target practice with his hunting rifle. All the while he kept the Old River in sight, the strange object still very much on his mind. Suddenly, he could hear the crows in the trees “chattering like crazy”. He turned his attention to the direction of the noise. Although it was further away than the first time he saw it the previous afternoon, there in front of him was the strange craft. And again, it was heading straight for him.

As he had the previous day he reached for the camera. With slightly more time he lined up the shot, waited several moments and pressed down on the shutter. He had time to wind the camera and take a second shot. However, by the time he had pulled the camera from his eye, the strange object had gone. It moved upwards “like an elevator” until it vanished into the grey cloud-heavy sky.

UFO Activity In Louisiana The Twenty-First Century

In more recent times, in the opening decades of the twenty-first century, UFO sightings all around the state of Louisiana have continued. ^[5] Following celebrations on 4^th July 2007 at around 9 pm, for example, a mother and her daughter witnessed “what looked like a huge ball of fire” over the town of Alexandria. The flaming globe was heading straight for their vehicle, turning at the last moment and heading into the distance. It remained visible for around ten minutes before vanishing.

Several months later, at 3 am in the opening hours of New Year’s Day 2008 in Baldwin, an unnamed witness was returning from a New Year’s Eve party and driving along Highway 90. Suddenly a strange glowing light appeared in his rearview mirror, which he at first thought was a meteor. However, the more he looked at the strange light, he could make it out to be a solid silver sphere. It was visible for five or six seconds, but the witness could still see how perfectly shaped it was. Certainly not a product of nature.

Metallic Crafts and Shrinking Objects

In May 2009, two brothers would report an “egg-shaped UFO” from their bedroom window just before 9 pm one evening. The pair viewed the object through their binoculars, noting that it was spinning quickly and flashing multiple colors. Then, as the pair watched in awe, it suddenly stopped spinning and “zoomed out of sight”.

In 2010, two more intriguing sightings occurred. On 27^th October just before 9 pm in the town of Scott, a metallic “hexagon or octagon” shaped craft was visible in the sky. White light flashed from the object as it moved. The witness would state their “amazement” that only they had seen it.

Two months later, on 23^rd December in Lafayette, a circular craft the color of a “white-fiery flame” was witnessed by a diner who was waiting for their fellow diners to join them outside. The object was visible for around three minutes. Even stranger, though, was the bizarrely lit craft then began to shrink rapidly until it disappeared. The witness, although reporting the event anonymously, wouldn’t speak of the encounter to anyone in person for fear of ridicule.

You can check out the video below. It features a local news segment on a Louisiana UFO sighting from 2013.