NUFORC Sighting 29597

Occurred: 2003-07-05 16:00 Local
Reported: 2003-07-07 18:34 Pacific
Duration: 2 MIN
No of observers: 4

Location: Benton, IL, USA

Shape: Sphere
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

07/05/03 REND LAKE IL, 4PM TWO ROUND SHINY LIGHTS MOVING SOUTH TO NORTH

WHILE AT MARCUM BRANCH BEACH AT REND LAKE NEAR BENTON, IL (07/05/03) AT 4 PM CST, TWO ROUND LIHGTS WERE SPOTTED MOVING ACROSS THE SKY FROM S TO N PERFECTLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER. ESTIMATED ALTITUDE 10K-15K. EST. SPEED 5OO MPH. THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE CARRYING THREE SKYDIVERS TRAVELING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT APROX.3K AND CLIMBING WHEN THE OBJECTS CROSSED OVER THEM. THE SKYDIVERS JUMPED OUT JUST SECONDS LATER. WE COULD TELL THE OBJECTS WERE NOT AIRPLANES OR ANY CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT. THEY MADE NO SOUND OR CONTRAILS. THERE WERE NO WINGS OR RUNNING LIGHTS VISIBLE FROM THE FRONT, SIDES, OR BACK OF THE OBJECTS. THEY SEEMED TO BE REFLECTING LIGHT FROM THE AFTERNOON SUN AS THEY WERE WHITE AND SHIMMERING. OBJECTS WERE CERTAINLY NOT NATURALLY OCCURING PHENOMENA SUCH AS METEORS. THEY WERE HOPEFULLY WITNESSED BY SOME OF THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT THE BEACH FOR THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY SIX HOURS LATER. WIFE,CHILD, FRIEND, AND MYSELF WERE AMONG HUNDREDS AT THE IMMEDIATE AREA.

Posted 2003-07-16