NUFORC Sighting 178368

Occurred: 2023-09-18 21:38 Local
Reported: 2023-09-19 08:35 Pacific
Duration: 1.5 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Yakima, WA, USA
Location details: Burbank Creek… At 2138, right around mile post 17- eastbound I-82

Shape: Teardrop
Characteristics: Lights on object

Flash of light behind the mountain, extremely bright object rose and hung in the sky and went out, disappeared but reappeared

I was driving eastbound on I-82 coming up the Umtanum mountains. It was 9:38pm. My 12 year old daughter was in the front seat not looking up. I frequently drive this route with her. A bright flash of light occurred in the distance behind the mountain and then a very bright white light began rising from behind the mountain [position through my windshield was at 11 o'clock to my left and started at about 45 degrees and rose to about 60 degrees]. The initial bright flash was so bright, it backlit the entire hill/mountain it occurred behind. In fact, I had thought at the time, was I seeing an explosion? {but there was no sound or blast waves}, was I seeing a flare? {but the object was very briefly illuminated, no longer than 5 seconds... so... lousy flare, maybe...}, was it lightning? {but the skies were totally clear}.

((( for example: imagine a large flash of lightning very momentarily illuminating the sky, but with zero sound, and nearly 1 second after, a bright white light object rising from it, hovering for 5 seconds while lit )))

Similarly, when someone walks upon you with a bright flashlight, I couldn't make out the shape of the object until 5 seconds after the initial flash - that is when the white light went out. Then I could very distantly see the vague shape of the object that had been this rising light. It was either shaped like a tear drop or shaped like a cigar - from that distance and that angle, that is what it looked like. Then it appeared to move away backwards and upward.

At that time I continued in shock with my daughter (she never saw the initial flash or hovering light because she was looking down at the time). Then my daughter points in the same direction and says "what, what is THAT?" At that time, an object appeared to be nearing, with 3 steady non-flashing red lights affixed to different points on the craft. This craft was extremely close to the freeway and was operating parallel to I-82. It was so close above us... no more than 75 feet up. It was about 15-20 feet across. 3 red lights. No sound {I rolled down the window expecting to hear helicopter blades whirring or an engine sound of some type, but no, it was totally silent}. I vaguely felt like the object might be a helicopter, and as it passed very close above our heads, to me, it looked like it was shaped like a teardrop or a cigar. It was dimly lit by the steady red lights. My daughter got a better look. I was careful not to prompt her, and she drew the shape of the object with her finger describing it, similar to what I had thought I'd seen. As we passed by this large object, there was no way to turn around or to observe it. I was going 70mph and that road is scary, dark, twisted, and unforgiving. I noted we were very close to Burbank Creek bridge near mile post 17. Whatever this thing was, it was too close to the freeway to be considered a safe flying distance {pretty sure the FAA would've not allowed that}.

It is important to note that the Army range is very close to that area, as well as some alleged NSA listening operations. However, if that was a military exercise, that was extremely dangerous doing that on a random Monday night so incredibly close to the freeway. The light was blinding and the whole event was shocking and distracting, and we could've been hurt by driving down that treacherous stretch of freeway while simultaneously being distracted.

Interestingly enough, when I was about my daughter's age {also a pre-teen}, my own mother and I were out for a walk in Seattle and we also encountered a low flying silent craft. She and I also lost a little bit of time on that walk {my dad noticed it took longer than usual to get home from our walk though she and I didn't stop walking our normal pace, except to stop and look at the craft "briefly"}.

That being said, I find it interesting this Umtanum ridge sighting was also only with my pre-teen daughter. Something about mothers and daughters, maybe?

Posted 2023-10-28