The Weyauwega UFO Incident – Alien Craft Captured On Film?

By
Marcus Lowth
Published Date
January 10, 2020
Last Updated
October 21, 2021
Estimated Reading Time
9 min read
Comments
2
Posted in
UFOs, Sightings

On a cold, winter’s afternoon in Wisconsin in February 2003, a mother and son would be the unsuspecting witnesses of a bizarre disc-shaped UFO flying overhead. And what’s more, by pure chance of their other activities, the witness happened to have a camera to hand, even managing to capture several pictures of the seemingly otherworldly vehicle.

What is particularly interesting about this case – especially given the distinct lack of detail surrounding it – is the placement of the lights on the bottom of the craft, which as we can see are in a distinctly triangular position although the object itself is equally clearly, disc-shaped.

A picture claiming to show a UFO over Weyauwega

Does this picture show a real UFO over Weyauwega

At around the same time, several other sightings would take place around Wisconsin. And, as we will also examine later, sightings (and pictures) of disc-shaped crafts around the Badger State are on record across the years and even decades.

Perhaps it stands to reason that with apparent UFO hotspots up and down the east and west coasts of the United States, that similar hotspots would exist in the middle (Midwestern) states. Particularly the upper Midwest that approaches the Canadian border, itself littered with UFO encounters.

The following account, at least to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing, remains unexplained. As do the subsequent ones that would follow. Such cases, and the photographic evidence they boast still require significant investigation. If only so that we might pick and claw our way further into the heart of the truth surrounding such mysterious sightings and encounters.

I Just “Pointed The Camera Up And Took The Shots!”

The witness in question – an unnamed woman – would report that during a visit to a friend’s home with her son during the late afternoon or early evening of 1st February 2003 they would witness something mysterious. They were in the town of Weyauwega in Wisconsin when they noticed strange lights overhead. What’s more, the lights were clearly part of a bizarre but solid craft.

The witness was taking pictures of her son while he was enjoying the snow and using his sled. It was, in fact, he who would first notice the bizarre lights overhead and would subsequently point them out to his mother. Given that she already had the camera in her hand [1] the witness “just pointed the camera up and took the shots”.

A close-up of the UFO over Weyauwega

A close-up of the UFO over Weyauwega

With the naked eye, at least at first, the object appeared to have the “impression of a balloon. Except, that is, for the lights”. She would go on to state the lights “seemed to cycle all different patterns”. And that, as discussed above, that the object “was more of a disc shape”.

Perhaps another interesting detail is the shape of this strange craft. That it is clearly round or disc-shaped. The lights underneath, though, are clearly in the shape of a triangle. Might we consider, then, that many other sightings of triangular crafts that are viewed in much darker skies and based mainly on the lights themselves moving “as one” are actually the typical disc-shaped crafts like the one in the picture?

Both of them watched the strange aerial vehicle make its way over them. It would eventually disappear into the distance. Neither was sure what it was they had just seen. Both, however, knew it was something completely out of the ordinary.

As Discreet A Report As Possible!

Despite the photographic proof of their sighting, the main witness would ultimately decide to remain completely anonymous. So much so, that no further details or information on the incident are available. We will come back to this notion of fearing the publicity of reporting a UFO incident a little later. As it remains one of the biggest obstacles to getting a true idea of just how large or small a presence of potential alien crafts in our skies might be.

As the UFO investigation team state “this should be taken into consideration when deciding on the validity of the sighting”. Indeed, it should. It certainly isn’t out of the question that someone would go to such trouble to fake a photograph. However, there appear to be “no obvious signs of a hoax”. And if there were, why would such a hoaxer simply fade away into the background? Certainly without attempts of reaping monetary or celebrity benefits. It wouldn’t make sense.

That someone might unintentionally find themselves in such a situation unwillingly, no less, and so wishing to pass the information along and then take themselves out of the situation, whether for their own safety or simply to protect their privacy, makes much more sense.

A second picture of the UFO over Weyauwega

A second picture of the UFO over Weyauwega

We should make it clear that the photographs – the second is above – must still be examined under the closest scrutiny. They appear, however, to be completely genuine. Even when taken and viewed from a different angle, the same consistencies remain. Such as the trees in the foreground against the apparent craft in the background.

Possibly The Clearest Picture OF A Daylight Disc!

Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of the first picture is the branch of the tree that appears in front of the light on the bottom left of the object. Skeptics state that the light appears “in front” of the branch. A close up of that section of the picture, however, more likely shows the branch “washed out”. This is due to the overall brightness of the light as well as the branch’s flimsy structure.

You can see a close-up of that picture above (second picture up). What is also interesting, at least according to investigators, is that such things as the “boxy” appearance of the sky and the “granularity” of the branches were both “consistent with JPEG compression” that many digital cameras of the time used.

What’s more, no evidence of “paintbrush” programs or smearing was visible anywhere in the pictures. As investigators would state in their initial examination of the sighting, if the pictures are one day proven as genuine, they very well could be “the clearest…of a low-flying daylight disc”.

Furthermore, although unknown to the witness at the time, several other sightings would unfold over the several days that followed in the Badger State.

A Mini-Wave Of Strange Aerial Activity Around Wisconsin?

At around 9 pm on the evening of 3rd February and two nights after the sighting in Weyauwega, “Michael J” was letting his dog out to stretch its legs as he did most nights at his home in Milwaukee. However, on this particular evening, as he looked up to the sky, he witnessed a strange object “like a falling star” which appeared to move then hover for several minutes. When the glowing object did move, it moved extremely quickly before coming to an abrupt stop.

He would attempt to capture a picture of the object. However, all attempts failed to have it show up on any picture he took. He would state in his report that the object was clearly visible to the naked eye. And furthermore, it featured a particular glow of “white and yellow”.

A depiction of a UFO landing in woodland

Many UFOs are reported around Wisconsin

The following day in the city of Madison, “Thomas E” was driving along Old Sauk Road. As he did so, he witnessed what he at first believed to be a plane. However, the closer he got to the “plane” he realized it wasn’t moving toward him but was actually hovering overhead. He would eventually drive completely underneath the object. From there, he would estimate it to be around 200 to 300 feet above the ground. Thomas would also estimate that it was around 40 feet in length and around 15 feet wide. He would even go as far as to say it was “shaped roughly like a boat”.

Even more intriguing was the “lights or windows running along each of the sides” of the object. What’s more, Thomas believed he could see people behind the windows. Or “at least black circles…that he interpreted as people”.

He would further state that only the yellowish lights were really visible, and that craft itself made no sound whatsoever. It would ultimately remain hovering until it was out of sight. He would then continue with his journey until he could no longer see the bizarre craft.

These sightings are far from the only ones to come out of Wisconsin, however. Even in recent times.

The Report Of Mike H – Family Reunion At Wisconsin Lakeside Captures Picture Of UFO!

A little over a year after the incident in Weyauwega, an undisclosed lake location, also in Wisconsin, would play host to another strange incident. And another that would result in a photograph of a disc-shaped craft (pictured below).

On the evening of 18th June 2004, “Mike H.” was visiting the family lakeside home where the entire family was meeting. During the course of the night, several pictures were taken, including one that would show a disc-shaped craft emerging from the treetops that surround the water’s edge.

Mike would recall how “no one noticed the object” until they were viewing the photographs several hours later. What the witness would also state – again giving only basic information about himself and little other details, much like the witness from the Weyauwega case – is that many of those present at the family reunion were “doctors and lawyers” and not people looking to pull a hoax or a prank.

A picture showing an alleged UFO over a lake at sunset

Does this picture show a real UFO over the lake

And while we only have Mike H’s words (and his photograph) to testify to such a claim, the location itself does appear to be one where an affluent “professional” family (or families) might reside or visit. And while this doesn’t at all make their claims more credible (in the same way that someone living in hardship isn’t automatically seen as not reliable), it would at least appear that what the witness claims (in terms of their professions) is true.

Another UFO sighting over Wisconsin that would result in apparent photographic evidence of a disc-shaped craft would take place over a quarter of a century earlier in April 1978. And it is to that sighting that we turn our attention next.

The Colfax UFO Incident, April 1978

On the afternoon of 19th April 1978 in the small town of Colfax, Mark Coltrane was on police patrol duty when he decided to pull his vehicle to the side of the road so he could have something to eat. It was as he was doing so, in an area in a town of only a few thousand that was free of people, he noticed how “crackles” like static was sounding from his police radio.

Before he could take in any more details, though, his attention turned to the “metallic-looking disc” that was moving upwards in the afternoon sky, perfectly clear through the windshield of his police car.

A picture of a UFO captured by Mark Coltrane

A picture of a UFO captured by Mark Coltrane

He continued to watch, noticing that the strange object, whatever it was, was moving toward him. As it did so, he would reach for his Polaroid that was in the car. Exiting the vehicle he prepared to snap photographs of this seemingly unearthly craft.

He managed to fire off several shots on the Polaroid. This would send the pictures spitting out of the bottom of the device seconds after capturing the image. He would recall that at one stage the craft was so close that he could even make out markings and details on its underside.

Then, the object began to move away and back into the sky eventually disappearing into the distance. Although he wasn’t exactly sure, Coltrane would state that the sighting would last no longer than several minutes. That is, from first noticing the crackling sound to the craft disappearing into the distance.

He knew what he had seen was real. And he had photographs to prove it. Coltrane would, however, remain in his car for several hours contemplating his next move. He would finally set off to the station to file his report.

A picture of a UFO captured by Mark Coltrane

A picture of a UFO captured by Mark Coltrane

Bizarre Sighting At Police Crime Scene, Seattle February 2003

Perhaps it also worth examining an incident that took place in the early hours of 13th February 2003. Around the same time as the Weyauwega incident. And what is maybe most interesting in relation to the case from Wisconsin, is the claim the object was triangular. Given that the sighing took place at 2:30 am, might it be that the triangular craft was actually a disc-shaped one with underside lights in a triangular pattern?

According to the NUFORC website, the witness, who wished to remain anonymous, was a Seattle police crime scene technician. In the early hours this particular night, they were just preparing to leave such a scene. He jumped into his car to escape the suddenly falling rain and pulled the door shut.

However, almost instantly, he began to sense the strange atmosphere and even stranger noises. Then, the car’s radio turned on of its own accord, seemingly flipping through the stations every few seconds. At the same time, the car’s headlights and internal lights began flashing randomly.

The witness would claim to see the “blue blinding lights” of a triangular object as it moved over his car. However, did he really see a triangular object or simply the lights? In the report, the witness states that the lights were so bright that he became “distracted”. Then, things became even stranger.

An image of a bright light descending

These strange incidents continue to be reported today

Suddenly, everything was quiet. The lights were gone as was the object. Even stranger, though, his car was parked on the other side of the road. All the lights, radio, and engine were also all turned off and silent. When he looked toward the clock in the dashboard it would declare the time was 3:03 am. He couldn’t account for just over half an hour of time.

Still A Fear Of Being Separated From “The Herd!”

As we ask often might there be a connection between the sightings we have examined here? And if so that connection remains open to debate. Aside from the encounter above none of the incidents we have examined here have any obvious signs of alien abduction. Or any other closer encounters than the sighting of the craft itself.

Wisconsin, like many of the upper midwestern states, has come into existence around many of the country’s great lakes. Might these ancient and vast stretches of water have something to do with the sightings of UFOs around this part of the United States?

As we have also mentioned before, the sightings on record, whether it be for Wisconsin or any other state across America (or indeed, the world) are very likely a small percentage of the strange sightings and encounters that are experienced. Such concerns as being ridiculed or even being labeled as “crazy” still hold many people back from speaking of and reporting such incidents. Even today, given all we know and all the evidence, at least to the possibility of such things as alien life and extraterrestrial visitation, the idea of reporting a strange encounter still makes many fear being separated from the herd.

As long as this notion permeates through societies around the world, we will never be able to get a true grasp on the UFO and alien question. Whether such incidents occur in the (relative) quiet of the American Midwest, or in any number of the metropolis-like cities around the world, if people don’t report those incidents, the rest of us remain ignorant of them.

Check out the video below. It looks at UFO sightings around the world in our contemporary age in a little more detail.

References

References
1 Weyauwega UFO Photographic Evaluation, UFO Wisconsin http://www.ufowisconsin.com/county/reports2003/analysisweyauwegaphotos.html

Marcus Lowth

Marcus Lowth is a writer with a love for UFOs, aliens, and the Ancient Astronaut Theory, to the paranormal, general conspiracies, and unsolved mysteries. He has been writing and researching with over 20 years of experience.

Marcus has been Editor-in-Chief for several years due to his excellent knowledge in these fields. Marcus also regularly appears as an expert on radio talk shows including Troubled Minds and Unexplained Radio discussing these topics.

Read Marcus' full bio.

You can contact Marcus via email.

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2 Comments

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  • kathryn says:

    its a bubble.. 100 percent.. ya want me to break it down with my degree in media arts and animation.. or do you just want to look at the pic and realize you’re looking at a bubble with forced perspective.

    • KElly says:

      Why yes Kathryn, I would like you to do that.

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