Pascagoula River Encounter — Jackson County Sheriff Audio

On October 11, 1973, shipyard workers Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker reported that while fishing on the Pascagoula River they observed an oval, blue-lit craft approximately 30–40 feet long with an opening in the side. Three entities with wrinkled gray skin and claw-like hands emerged and levitated the men aboard the craft, where they underwent a physical examination by robotic-looking instruments. The encounter lasted approximately 20 minutes. Upon release, the men drove immediately to the Jackson County Sheriff's office. Sheriff Fred Diamond and Captain Glen Ryder interviewed them separately; their accounts were consistent. The sheriff then placed both men in a room with a concealed microphone and left them alone — both men continued discussing the encounter as though they believed it was real, with Parker in visible distress. This audio recording became one of the most-cited pieces of evidence in the case. A military polygraph operator administered tests; Hickson passed. Navy Intelligence contacted local investigators and reviewed the report. Dr. James Harder (NICAP) and Dr. J. Allen Hynek (former USAF scientific consultant) traveled to Pascagoula and interviewed the witnesses. USAF files on the 1973 national UAP wave that included the Pascagoula event are preserved in NARA records.