First Sighting: July 21, 1997
- Cle Elum, Washington -

Date: July 21, 1997
Time: 11:30 PM P.D.T.
Date reported: November 26, 2004
Location: Cle Elum, WA (Approximately 100 Miles E. of Seattle)
Latitude: 47.21099 Degrees North
Longitude: 120.94868 Degrees West
Weather: Clear  
Duration: Unknown
Number Witnesses: One

Description: A woman was lying outside on a clear summer evening.  She was watching an object what she thought was a satellite pass overhead from the north to the south.  As the object reached the tops of the tall trees on the south side of her yard it suddenly changed direction.  The object then stopped directly overhead.  The witness looked at the object feeling curious now knowing that it wasn't a satellite.  At this point the object shined a blinding, bright light in the witness's eyes that lasted for about 10 seconds.  She said then it was dark again.  She felt tired and almost went to sleep, but was afraid that the light had burned her eyes.  She ran into the house and told others about what happened.  She had thought that it was a military accident or something.

Investigative Notes: This report has just been received so little investigative work has been done.  The witness had reported another more recent sighting to me which she indicated was explainable.  Based on her previous report she seems to be reliable and not someone to make up stories.  Her account is similar to other witness sightings in that people report lights shining from a UFO.  Some witnesses have been burned and later diagnosed with radiation burns.  Apparently this witness sustained no permanent injury from this experience.  Details will be published as received.  The witness also had a similar experience one year after this incident (see July 21, 1998 report). 

Special Note: The witness has had several encounters with UFOS and strange lights.  She keeps a record of dates and writes down her experiences in a journal.  For this reason she has been able to provide accurate details of sightings that occurred several years ago.

Bottom Line: This light sighting at first sounded like it could have been an iridium flare satellite.  However, the fact that it shined a bright light in the witness's eyes for 10 seconds does not sound like an iridium flare satellite.  If anything the light behaved as if under intelligent control.  Therefore based on available information I consider this sighting to be unidentified.