1 00:00:07,310 --> 00:00:15,990 [Music] 2 00:00:21,590 --> 00:00:19,189 friday march 4th 1988 3 00:00:23,910 --> 00:00:21,600 all four members of the baker family 4 00:00:25,670 --> 00:00:23,920 were driving home following their usual 5 00:00:29,109 --> 00:00:25,680 friday night meal 6 00:00:31,589 --> 00:00:29,119 it was a little after 8 30 p.m henry the 7 00:00:33,430 --> 00:00:31,599 father was driving and the two children 8 00:00:35,670 --> 00:00:33,440 were in the backseat the heavily 9 00:00:38,470 --> 00:00:35,680 pregnant sheila the mother looked out 10 00:00:39,830 --> 00:00:38,480 the passenger window at the frozen lake 11 00:00:43,270 --> 00:00:39,840 erie 12 00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:43,280 the ice almost shined in the moonlight 13 00:00:48,950 --> 00:00:46,640 then she saw something strangely lit 14 00:00:51,189 --> 00:00:48,960 looking as if it was rocking on the 15 00:00:53,110 --> 00:00:51,199 surface of the lake 16 00:00:55,510 --> 00:00:53,120 she nudged her husband who took his 17 00:00:57,750 --> 00:00:55,520 attention away from the road 18 00:01:00,069 --> 00:00:57,760 he could see it also 19 00:01:03,029 --> 00:01:00,079 bachila's insistence he would turn the 20 00:01:05,350 --> 00:01:03,039 car's direction towards the waterfront 21 00:01:07,510 --> 00:01:05,360 once there they instructed their sons to 22 00:01:09,750 --> 00:01:07,520 remain in the vehicle 23 00:01:12,390 --> 00:01:09,760 they stepped out into the cold night and 24 00:01:14,149 --> 00:01:12,400 began to cautiously make their way to 25 00:01:16,870 --> 00:01:14,159 the water's edge 26 00:01:19,030 --> 00:01:16,880 the lights were still there 27 00:01:21,270 --> 00:01:19,040 what sheila first noticed though were 28 00:01:23,910 --> 00:01:21,280 sounds that appeared to be the ice of 29 00:01:27,510 --> 00:01:23,920 the frozen lake cracking 30 00:01:29,350 --> 00:01:27,520 she would liken them to claps of thunder 31 00:01:31,510 --> 00:01:29,360 as they got as near as they could 32 00:01:33,990 --> 00:01:31,520 without stepping on the ice they could 33 00:01:36,390 --> 00:01:34,000 clearly make out a football shaped 34 00:01:37,749 --> 00:01:36,400 object with bright white lights at 35 00:01:40,149 --> 00:01:37,759 either end 36 00:01:42,950 --> 00:01:40,159 the object itself appeared to be of a 37 00:01:44,950 --> 00:01:42,960 gunmetal gray color and was hovering 38 00:01:46,230 --> 00:01:44,960 overhead as opposed to being on the 39 00:01:48,870 --> 00:01:46,240 surface 40 00:01:52,149 --> 00:01:48,880 despite the obvious movement the strange 41 00:01:54,789 --> 00:01:52,159 craft made no noise whatsoever 42 00:01:56,789 --> 00:01:54,799 all sheila could hear were the sounds of 43 00:01:58,789 --> 00:01:56,799 cracking ice 44 00:02:01,590 --> 00:01:58,799 suddenly as if it had become aware of 45 00:02:04,149 --> 00:02:01,600 their presence the objects swung towards 46 00:02:05,990 --> 00:02:04,159 them heading in their direction 47 00:02:09,109 --> 00:02:06,000 panicked and frightened the couple 48 00:02:10,949 --> 00:02:09,119 turned and ran back to their car 49 00:02:14,229 --> 00:02:10,959 henry would drive the remainder of the 50 00:02:16,070 --> 00:02:14,239 journey completely uneasy 51 00:02:18,869 --> 00:02:16,080 once the bakers arrived at their home 52 00:02:20,790 --> 00:02:18,879 and settled their children to bed sheila 53 00:02:23,670 --> 00:02:20,800 would contact the police to report the 54 00:02:25,589 --> 00:02:23,680 sighting the police would tell her that 55 00:02:27,030 --> 00:02:25,599 she would have to make the report to the 56 00:02:28,869 --> 00:02:27,040 coast guard 57 00:02:31,110 --> 00:02:28,879 she did and despite their initial 58 00:02:33,190 --> 00:02:31,120 refusal to deal with the case they 59 00:02:35,990 --> 00:02:33,200 eventually agreed to pick them up and 60 00:02:38,470 --> 00:02:36,000 take them back to the waterfront 61 00:02:40,309 --> 00:02:38,480 meanwhile the bakers could clearly see 62 00:02:42,710 --> 00:02:40,319 the object hovering over the lake from 63 00:02:45,190 --> 00:02:42,720 the window of their house 64 00:02:48,309 --> 00:02:45,200 as they watched six independent 65 00:02:51,589 --> 00:02:48,319 triangular objects suddenly emerged from 66 00:02:54,150 --> 00:02:51,599 the larger craft they would move around 67 00:02:57,430 --> 00:02:54,160 the main object in a darting motion 68 00:02:59,750 --> 00:02:57,440 before halting to a complete stop 69 00:03:02,229 --> 00:02:59,760 these triangular objects would then move 70 00:03:04,790 --> 00:03:02,239 in the direction of the peri-nuclear 71 00:03:06,630 --> 00:03:04,800 power plant nearby 72 00:03:08,550 --> 00:03:06,640 the bakers would ask their neighbor to 73 00:03:10,470 --> 00:03:08,560 watch their children and when the coast 74 00:03:12,070 --> 00:03:10,480 guard arrived they would accompany them 75 00:03:14,790 --> 00:03:12,080 back to the lake 76 00:03:16,229 --> 00:03:14,800 according to the officers james power 77 00:03:18,229 --> 00:03:16,239 and john knob 78 00:03:20,710 --> 00:03:18,239 several other reports including from 79 00:03:22,630 --> 00:03:20,720 their own employees had come in 80 00:03:24,789 --> 00:03:22,640 regarding the object 81 00:03:27,589 --> 00:03:24,799 as the coast guard's vehicle pulled up 82 00:03:29,990 --> 00:03:27,599 at the waterfront the smaller triangular 83 00:03:31,830 --> 00:03:30,000 objects were once again circling the 84 00:03:33,750 --> 00:03:31,840 main craft 85 00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:33,760 as soon as the coast guards opened their 86 00:03:39,430 --> 00:03:37,360 car doors the sound of rumbling ice met 87 00:03:41,830 --> 00:03:39,440 everyone's ears 88 00:03:44,390 --> 00:03:41,840 this noise was constant as if the 89 00:03:48,149 --> 00:03:44,400 object's purpose was to crack the ice 90 00:03:50,229 --> 00:03:48,159 and gain access to the water below 91 00:03:54,070 --> 00:03:50,239 the coast guard's report would state 92 00:03:55,990 --> 00:03:54,080 that the ice was crackling and moving 93 00:03:58,869 --> 00:03:56,000 whenever the object came closer to the 94 00:04:00,470 --> 00:03:58,879 surface the cracking sounds became more 95 00:04:02,309 --> 00:04:00,480 intense 96 00:04:04,309 --> 00:04:02,319 the coast guards would radio back to 97 00:04:07,429 --> 00:04:04,319 their control base stating that the 98 00:04:08,550 --> 00:04:07,439 quote objects appeared to be landing on 99 00:04:10,309 --> 00:04:08,560 the lake 100 00:04:13,830 --> 00:04:10,319 the coast guards would continue to 101 00:04:16,069 --> 00:04:13,840 advise the control room of the situation 102 00:04:18,550 --> 00:04:16,079 as the triangular craft became more 103 00:04:21,270 --> 00:04:18,560 active once more they would report that 104 00:04:23,350 --> 00:04:21,280 the other objects were moving all around 105 00:04:24,550 --> 00:04:23,360 and they were going at high rates of 106 00:04:26,710 --> 00:04:24,560 speed 107 00:04:29,270 --> 00:04:26,720 as sheila and henry along with the two 108 00:04:31,749 --> 00:04:29,280 coast guards continued to watch the 109 00:04:34,469 --> 00:04:31,759 fascinating display they noticed one of 110 00:04:35,670 --> 00:04:34,479 the triangles suddenly turn in their 111 00:04:38,070 --> 00:04:35,680 direction 112 00:04:40,070 --> 00:04:38,080 it was heading straight for the coast 113 00:04:42,070 --> 00:04:40,080 guard's vehicle 114 00:04:44,950 --> 00:04:42,080 right before what seemed to be an 115 00:04:48,230 --> 00:04:44,960 inevitable impact the object veered 116 00:04:51,510 --> 00:04:48,240 upwards in a blur of light 117 00:04:53,990 --> 00:04:51,520 it then returned to the main large craft 118 00:04:55,670 --> 00:04:54,000 as did all the other smaller triangular 119 00:04:58,469 --> 00:04:55,680 objects 120 00:05:01,110 --> 00:04:58,479 all the while the sound of ice cracking 121 00:05:03,350 --> 00:05:01,120 continued it seemed that the previously 122 00:05:06,150 --> 00:05:03,360 bright white lights of the craft were 123 00:05:10,390 --> 00:05:06,160 now beginning to flash and glow in a 124 00:05:12,629 --> 00:05:10,400 display of red blue orange and green 125 00:05:13,990 --> 00:05:12,639 the craft itself appeared to be 126 00:05:15,990 --> 00:05:14,000 descending 127 00:05:17,749 --> 00:05:16,000 the lights went out for a second and 128 00:05:20,390 --> 00:05:17,759 then returned 129 00:05:24,390 --> 00:05:20,400 and then without warning the lights and 130 00:05:26,469 --> 00:05:24,400 the rumbling noise were gone completely 131 00:05:29,749 --> 00:05:26,479 the witnesses were not clear if the 132 00:05:31,430 --> 00:05:29,759 craft had sped away or if the lights had 133 00:05:33,909 --> 00:05:31,440 simply gone out 134 00:05:34,950 --> 00:05:33,919 perhaps it was still hovering over the 135 00:05:38,469 --> 00:05:34,960 ice 136 00:05:41,270 --> 00:05:38,479 only now they couldn't see it sheila 137 00:05:43,510 --> 00:05:41,280 though would voice her suspicion for 138 00:05:46,950 --> 00:05:43,520 reasons she doesn't know that this 139 00:05:49,909 --> 00:05:46,960 object plunged directly below the ice 140 00:05:52,150 --> 00:05:49,919 and into the frozen waters 141 00:05:54,150 --> 00:05:52,160 although several of the small triangular 142 00:05:56,390 --> 00:05:54,160 objects were seen flying directly 143 00:05:59,749 --> 00:05:56,400 overhead a little later that evening 144 00:06:01,749 --> 00:05:59,759 this large craft didn't reappear 145 00:06:04,070 --> 00:06:01,759 one of the coast guards would report 146 00:06:07,510 --> 00:06:04,080 that the triangular crafts behaved as 147 00:06:09,749 --> 00:06:07,520 though they were scouting the area 148 00:06:12,790 --> 00:06:09,759 none of the coast guards could identify 149 00:06:15,350 --> 00:06:12,800 any of the objects they had witnessed 150 00:06:17,350 --> 00:06:15,360 and the lake erie close encounter