Hudson Valley: Triangle Probes Croton Falls Reservoir with Red Beam
Biomedical engineer Jim Cooke, driving near the Croton Falls Reservoir in Putnam County at 2:15 AM, sees lights descending toward the water. He exits his car and walks to the shore, finding a triangular craft hovering less than 15 feet above the water surface. Extremely non-reflective, approximately 100 feet long and 30 feet at apex, completely silent despite being only 200 feet away. After a few minutes, nine red lights activate on its sides, then a red beam probes the water below. The object moves to four locations over the reservoir, each time shining the red beam into the water. When cars pass on the road, its lights go out. After 10-15 minutes, it lifts and drifts away at a 30-degree angle. Suggests the Hudson Valley UFOs were interested in searching bodies of water.
Background
EVENT TITLE: Hudson Valley: Triangle Probes Croton Falls Reservoir with Red Beam
EVENT DATE: 1983-10-28
EVENT TYPE: sighting
Biomedical engineer Jim Cooke reported observing a triangular craft hovering over the Croton Falls Reservoir in Putnam County. The craft, described as extremely non-reflective, was observed emitting a red beam into the water. This sighting is part of a larger wave of triangle and "boomerang" UFO sightings in the Hudson Valley during the early to mid-1980s.
The Incident
At approximately 2:15 AM, Jim Cooke was driving near the Croton Falls Reservoir. He noticed lights descending towards the water. Cooke stopped his car, walked to the shore, and observed a triangular craft hovering less than 15 feet above the water's surface. The object was described as extremely non-reflective and approximately six or seven feet in diameter.
Investigation
The provided text does not contain information about any official investigation into Jim Cooke's sighting. However, the text mentions that a local science teacher named Philip Imbrogno investigated the broader phenomenon of triangle and "boomerang" sightings in the Hudson Valley, documented in the book Night Siege.
Significance
The Croton Falls Reservoir sighting is significant as an early example of the widespread "triangle" UFO phenomenon that occurred in the Hudson Valley region of New York and Connecticut during the 1980s. These sightings, often involving low-flying, silent objects with bright lights, were reported by thousands of witnesses from diverse backgrounds. The Hudson Valley sightings are considered a key event in UFO history due to the large number of witnesses and the consistency of the descriptions of the objects.