t e m p o r a l
d o o r w a y
4/8/50 - David and Charles Lightfoot, age 12 and 9, River Road, near Amarillo TX, afternoon
| Report Summary | "saw a disk land behind a hill and touched it. It was the
size of a car tire, about 30 cm high, with a rounded top that rotated and
a pivot between the base and the top. It took off very fast."[footnote
1] "Twelve-year-old David Lightfoot claimed today that he touched a "flying saucer" and that it sprayed him with a gas that raised red welts on his face and arm. Many persons tended to believe that David, as a true son of Texas, might be getting an early start as a teller of tall tales. But his story was backed by his cousin, Charles Lightfoot, 9. "The boys were fishing 10 miles northwest of here Saturday, they said, when something "like a balloon" sailed over their heads and landed beyond a slight rise. David ran to it. "He said it was the size of an auto tire, about 18 inches thick, and curved on the bottom with a top looking like a flat plate. "The part between the top and bottom was real red, like it was on fire," he said. The top half was still spinning as he approached. The disc was blue-gray in color and red-hot otherwise, he said. "I dived for it but my fingers barely touched it," he said. "It was slick like a snake and plenty hot." "Then the top started spinning faster, "made a whistling noise and took off," he said. It was out of sight in 10 seconds. He said that as it left the ground, the gadget released a gas or spray which reddened his arm and face and caused small welts. His father applied skin balm, which removed the welts, but the redness remained. Charles couldn't run as fast as David, but said he was within 100 yards of the object when it took off."[footnote 2] |
| Hynek Classification | CE-II |
| Original Vallee Classification | Type Ia |
| Current Vallee Classification | CE5 |
| Minimum Distance | Contact |
| Object Appearance | Small disk about 2 feet diameter, 1 foot high |
| Object Behavior | Landed, allowed contact, took off |
| Physical Effect | None |
| Medical Effect | "The faces and arms of the boys later became red.", onset delayed, duration unknown |
| Comments / Conclusion | This is clearly an evidence that UFOs can emit either gas or liquid of an irritating nature. Whether this represents a defensive mechanism or a byproduct of propulsion cannot be determined from this case. |
Footnotes
1. Vallee, Passport to Magonia, ISBN 0-8092-3796-2, p 194 catalog 76
2. From Tucson (Az) CITIZEN - April 10, 1950 Boy Of 12 Has Saucer Stings AMARILLO, Tex, Apr. 10 (UP); Thanks to John Stepkowski for the press report on this case.