Is there a subject that causes more commotion than a UFO? Since the dawn of time, people have debated on whether other life-forms exist. I don’t believe in little green men or alien creatures with an assortment of eyeballs, but I think it foolish to discount other life-forms. UFO sighting are nothing new. They are traceable to China as far back as the 11th century.
Sometime around 1088, a respected poet named Shen Kuo wrote about a UFO that he claimed resembled a giant pearl. It’s even believed his sighting is the earliest reported UFO sighting. Although some UFO sightings may be legitimate, most can be discounted. They may either be weather balloons, airplanes or something else. Travis Walton and Stefan Michalak are known for their association with two of the most highly publicized UFO cases.
On May 20, 1967, Stephan Michalak, an amateur explorer was walking through the wilderness around Falcon Lake, a lake near Winnipeg. While prospecting for silver and other metals, he saw a strange glowing object in the sky. It was two cigar shaped anomalies floating in the sky. It then landed on a rock. Once it landed he noticed its resemblance to a spacecraft. He thought it might be a military airplane so it didn’t alarm him.
After a short wait, he approached the strange spacecraft. It smelled like sulphur and he could hear something resembling a humming motor and felt a gush of air. He noticed an open door and heard illegible sounds coming from the strange craft. Assuming it must be soldiers, he approached to offer his help.
But no one responded.
He tried to touch the spacecraft. Big mistake. The ship was so hot it melted his glove. A blast of air then struck Michalak and knocked him down. His shirt and cap then caught on fire.
Afterward, the ship left.
The effects of the strange craft made him sick. He vomited and stumbled through the forest. He would check himself into a Winnipeg hospital where staff couldn’t fully determine the source of his injuries.
The alien spacecraft severely burned his chest. He also had grid shaped sores on his stomach. For weeks he suffered diarrhea, headaches and weight loss. He also blacked out.
After he told authorities about his experience, he couldn’t foresee the madness that would soon engulf his life in controversy, ridicule and disbelief. The media was all over his story as it has since appeared on television documentaries and in books. His son, Stan Michalak, published a book about his father’s experience. He said he can remember how sick his father became after what would become known as the Falcon Lake Incident.
Stephan Michalak thought it best he share his experience with the world. He would live to regret the decision. He would go to his grave in 1999 wishing he would have kept his encounter a secret.
Canadian government officials recovered Michalak’s hat, shirt and soil samples. The soil tested positive for radioactivity and the burns in Michalak’s were without explanation. Regardless, it didn’t stop the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) from commemorating the Falcon Lake Incident.
The RCM even announced earlier this year they will mint a limited number of special coins depicting the famous UFO incident. Although Michalak died nearly 20 years ago, his sighting is one of the most well documented UFO sightings in history. Skeptics claimed Michalak’s injuries, burned hat and clothing could have been caused by something with an earthly origin. Yet, as much as anyone disbelieves his story, no one has ever arrived at a logical conclusion as to what Michalak saw or the injuries he sustained.
I will never understand why so many people think human beings are the only occupants in the universe. And I find this an even stranger mystery than a UFO sighting.
Marc is a grandparent and longtime resident of Clermont County. Visit his author page at http://www.lifewithgrandpa.com. He also wrote Just Bite Me: A Guide to Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Walking Nightmares, which is available on Amazon.com.