Around 11:20pm, a USO purportedly entered the bay. There were 11 witnesses. According to these witnesses, a blinking object came down toward the water making a whistling sound. Witnesses gauged the object at 60 feet long and after hovering and flashing, tilted at a 45-degree angle and crashed through the water. Yellow lights were seen in the water and the object left a trail of yellow foam. Several witnesses believed that an airplane had crashed into the bay and called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. When they arrived 15 minutes later, they were able to catch a glimpse of the underwater lights and reported this to the Canadian Coast Guard. When the Canadian Coast Guard arrived one hour later, the object was gone but the foam remained. All planes in the area were accounted for and an aircraft crash was ruled out. A Canadian Naval recovery effort ensued. However, divers were unable to find anything and the object was officially documented as a USO. Apparently the U.S. Navy became involved and U.S. divers shadowed the object for several days. During the chase, a second object supposedly entered the water following the first one. Both objects then left the water and flew off.

During the naval investigation, a local fisherman reported to have witnessed a diver bring up some sort of aluminum debris, but it is not known whether or not the recovered objects had anything to do with the USO. Regardless, the final report stated that no debris, survivors or bodies were ever found and there was absolutely no trace of the object.

A theory concerning what may have actually happened during the investigation holds that a joint effort by Canada and the United States occurred in Shelburne, about 30 miles from Shag Harbor. A military witness claimed that the object was initially picked up on radar coming from Siberia, crashed into Shag Harbor and then came to rest on a submarine magnetic detection grid near Shelburne. There, a second object joined it. According to this witness, ships remained in that location for a week. Another military witness claimed that a U.S. barge was sent to help recovery efforts. According to local newspaper reports, a barge was in the area but it was brought to Shelburne for emergency repairs.

MUFON investigators Chris Styles and Doug Ledger located many of the original witnesses. During the mid-1990s a Shag Harbor diver came forward to recount his experience. He reported that during transit to Shag Harbor following witness reports of a crash, they already knew nothing would be found because the object had already been found near Shelburne. According to this diver, a second search occurred which was both a Canadian and U.S. military effort that lasted for three days. When a Russian submarine entered Allied ocean territory to the north, the navy left to intercept the submarine and upon returning, the objects had "departed."

Interestingly enough, identical UFOs were reported before and directly following the alleged crash and recovery effort.

[image courtesy of David Dermott]