NUFORC Sighting 98679

Occurred: 2013-06-15 22:00 Local
Reported: 2013-06-16 10:00 Pacific
Duration: 4-7 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Westlake, OH, USA

Shape: Unknown
Characteristics: Lights on object

A few dozen, low-altitude lights flying silently in a loose formation in a south-to-north direction from inland to out over Lake Erie

Around 10 pm last night (6/15/2013), I was driving westbound on I-90 headed home from Lakewood, Ohio. After exiting I-90 at Clague Rd in suburban Westlake and then turning south onto Clague, I noticed what appeared to be a pattern of perhaps a dozen or so white lights that I initially thought was 'strung out' (perhaps 100 - 200 feet high?) over the rear (eastward) portion of the Crown Water Filtration plant on Clague Rd. At first, I thought the lights were stationary and perhaps were somehow 'hung up' as part of some event on a Saturday night.

While driving south on Clague, I kept looking to the left (east) above the water plant to see if I could locate the origin, on the ground, of the lights. Not seeing that origin on the ground as I expected when I reached the intersection of Detroit Rd (0.3 mile sound of I-90), my curiosity got the best of me and I turned left (east) onto Detroit Rd. and drove about 0.4 mile eastward on Detroit until I seemed to be pretty directly underneath the lights. I pulled over at Hamlet Lane (a "Private Drive" for, presumably, condominiums), got out of the car, and looked up directly over my head.

It was only a few seconds before that point that I realized the lights were not stationary or somehow 'anchored' to the ground, but were in fact, moving! They were traveling from a due-South to due-North direction out over Lake Erie (the southern edge of which is about 0.8 miles due-North of my position). And these lights kept appearing from the south (over the treetops) and flying directly over my head. It's obviously difficult to estimate their altitude, but my best guess would be in the range of perhaps 500 - 1000 ft over my head (although it certainly could have been upwards to 2000 feet in altitude?). At first, I wondered if it was just a whole bunch of helicopters flying in some sort of loose formation (like some sort of squadron), or perhaps small private planes, but they were completely silent! I mean, they did not make ANY sound whatsoever, at least, that I could hear.

I could not make out any actual aircraft, but saw only a white light encircling the presumed craft. Also, they were not traveling very fast, though speed too is difficult to estimate, but it appeared to be a fairly leisurely pace (possibly lees than 100 mph?). From the time I noticed a light in the south appear above the treetops travel north out over Lake Erie, was at least a full minute (or maybe closer to 2 minutes?). But as they flew (or more like, 'drifted') North of my position, there was a considerably larger break in the treetops enabling me to see a considerably larger portion of the sky.

Although I didn't actually count the number of lights I saw in the sky, over the course of this approximate 4-7(?) minute sighting, I saw what seemed to me like literally DOZENS of lights in the sky north of my position! Perhaps 3-4 dozen at a minimum, or maybe even more than that?! Fearing that I might be blocking the "private" condo drive with my car when another car pulled in the drive, I got back in my car and drove a couple hundred feet or so west on Detroit, but not before hearing the occupant of the car that had pulled into Hamlet Lane make a brief comment about seeing the lights also and wondering what they were.

Next, I pulled over at the corner of Clubside Drive and Detroit, got out of the car again, and continued to watch as these lights kept appearing in the southern sky over the treetops, and slowly fly due north. I then heard another car that was pulling into another driveway make a remark to another occupant in the same car, about seeing the lights and wondering what they might be. I replied to them that there were a whole slew of lights flying northward that were completely silent.

I got back in my car, drove west on Detroit, and pulled into the Detroit Rd entrance for the Crown Water Filtration plant observed the lights in the northern sky for another 30 - 60 seconds. Then turning back onto Detroit, I turned left (south) onto Clague to resume my drive home. After turning back onto Clague, I saw only 1 or 2 more lights out of my driver's window over the treetops in the east. Then they ceased. I kept looking for more out my window as I continued driving south on Clague back home, but din't see anymore.

A couple minutes later it dawned on me that I should have used the 2 megapixel camera on my phone to try to record what I saw (though there's no guarantee that my 3 year-old non-Smart phone would've been able to capture any images in true dark). Damn! But for several minutes last night, I most definitely saw a few dozen, low-altitude lights flying silently in a loose formation in a south-to-north direction out over Lake Erie.

For the record, I was not intoxicated in any way (I'm on Methotrexate for arthritis and thus cannot drink at all), and I do not take any mood- or conscious-altering medications whatsoever. While not initially knowing what I was seeing, I did feel somewhat confused, bewildered, or disoriented at what I was seeing. But there's no mistaking - even remotely - that I did in fact, see a whole shitload of UFO's! And although I've once or twice in the distant past seen a solitary, very distant (star-like) light in the sky that might (???) have moved back-and-forth in an 'un-airplane-like fashion) - to which I could not swear - this was as obvious as getting hit in the face with a sledge hammer. I most definitely saw this - I was not hallucinating at all.

Posted 2013-07-03

© 2023 National UFO Reporting Center. All rights reserved. Use or reproduction within any application without written consent is prohibited.