Pascagoula abduction
From the UAP Encyclopedia, the open encyclopedia of UFO and UAP history · 🗓️ Event
Contents 8
| Date | 11 October 1973 |
|---|---|
| Topics | Beings & bodies (topic), Nuclear & missile sites (topic), Secrecy & cover-up (topic) |
| People | Charles Hickson, Calvin Parker, J. Allen Hynek, Philip Klass, Joe Nickell |
| Testimony | Shellenberger testimony, p. 76 |
| Year | 1973 in UFO history |
| Timeline | 1973 on the UAP Timeline |
| Sources | 11 |
The Pascagoula abduction is the claim by two Mississippi shipyard workers, Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker, that they were taken aboard a craft by strange beings while fishing on the Pascagoula River on the night of 11 October 1973. Widely covered at the time, it remains one of the best-known abduction cases, notable for the sheriff's office's secret recording of the two men.[1][2]
The encounter
Hickson, aged 45, and his younger co-worker Parker, aged 17, said they were fishing from a pier on the west bank of the river when they heard a whirring sound and saw two flashing blue lights. They described an oval craft about 30 to 40 feet across and 8 to 10 feet high. Hickson said three creatures with wrinkled skin and pincer-like hands floated them aboard, where he was examined by a device resembling a large eye, before they were returned to the wharf. He said Parker fainted and remained unconscious during the examination.[1][3]
Reporting and the secret tape
The men first went to the office of the local newspaper, The Mississippi Press, but found no reporters, and then went to the Jackson County sheriff's office at about 11 p.m. Captain Glenn Ryder initially suspected a prank. Officers left the two men alone in a room and secretly recorded them, hoping to catch a contradiction; on the tape they sounded frightened and their story stayed consistent, and Ryder came to believe they were sincere.[1][4]
The men were examined at Keesler Air Force Base and found free of radiation. A local polygraph examiner concluded that Hickson told the truth as he believed it. Astronomer J. Allen Hynek and engineer James Harder interviewed both men, including under hypnosis, and told the press they believed the accounts were based on a real experience.[1][3]
Skeptical views
Skeptic Philip Klass found inconsistencies, noted that Hickson declined a test by a more experienced polygraph examiner, and concluded the case was a hoax. Investigator Joe Nickell suggested that Hickson may have had a hypnagogic "waking dream" and that Parker's support reflected suggestibility.[1][5]
Later years
Hickson appeared on national television programs and self-published UFO Contact at Pascagoula in 1983; he died in 2011. Parker avoided publicity for decades before publishing Pascagoula – The Closest Encounter: My Story in 2018; he died in 2023. A Mississippi historical marker was unveiled at the site on 22 June 2019, and the town holds an annual festival marking the event.[1][4][6]
People and topics
- Charles Hickson — Shipyard worker in the 1973 Pascagoula abduction case.
- Calvin Parker — Shipyard worker in the 1973 Pascagoula abduction case.
- Pascagoula — The Mississippi town where the 1973 abduction case took place.
- J. Allen Hynek — Astronomer and Air Force UFO consultant from 1948 to 1969 who later founded the Center for UFO Studies.
- Philip Klass — Aviation journalist and leading UFO skeptic.
- Alien abduction — The claimed taking of people by non-human beings.
- Joe Nickell — Skeptical investigator of paranormal claims.
On the Timeline
- Dyess AFB weapons storage incident (1973) (October 1973) — A security policeman at Dyess AFB says his squadron encountered a UAP near nuclear bombers.
- Secret project asks about remote viewing (1973) (27 October 1973) — Puthoff tells Vallée a secret UAP project with an official charter asked about remote viewing.
See every 1973 event on the UAP Timeline →
References
- Pascagoula abduction — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- "Pas men 'forced' aboard UFO", The Mississippi Press (1973) · newspapers.com · archived copy
- Joe Nickell and James McGaha, "Famous Alien Abduction in Pascagoula: Reinvestigating a Cold Case", Skeptical Inquirer (2012) · cdn.centerforinquiry.org · archived copy
- "The men claimed they were abducted by aliens. In Mississippi, police believed them", The Washington Post (26 Jun 2019) · washingtonpost.com · archived copy
- "Famous Alien Abduction in Pascagoula: Reinvestigating a Cold Case", Skeptical Inquirer (online) · csicop.org · archived copy
- "Historical marker unveiled honoring possible alien abduction in Pascagoula", WLOX (23 Jun 2019) · wlox.com · archived copy
- Pascagoula incident — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- Man says 1973 UFO incident turned his life upside down — NBC News · nbcnews.com · archived copy
- Calvin Parker dies — SuperTalk Mississippi · supertalk.fm · archived copy
- en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- youtu.be · youtu.be · archived copy
Further reading
- Project Blue Book — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- Project Blue Book records — National Archives · archives.gov · archived copy
- Project Blue Book files — The Black Vault · theblackvault.com · archived copy
- Area 51 — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- J. Allen Hynek — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- Pascagoula abduction — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
This page was last edited on 29 October 2026. Articles are written in our own words from the sources listed under References; disputed claims are attributed to the people who made them.
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