Date of Event: Tuesday 5th July 2022
Time of Event: 23:45
Case Reference: OR220705
Investigators: Abigail Hyslop
On the night of May 7th, 2022 at around 11:45 PM, a witness reported seeing a single unidentified flying object in the skies above Southwold in Suffolk. The object had five oblong lights positioned along one side, which gave it a curved appearance. The witness observed the object swooping down in a diagonal forward motion before sharply banking to the right at a 90-degree angle. The UFO moved erratically, making sudden movements and traveling at an extremely fast speed.
The witness was driving along a gravel road when they saw the UFO and quickly stopped their car to get a better look. The object was visible with the naked eye and appeared to be around six feet in size. The witness estimated the object to be around 100 feet away but could not determine its height.
The witness noted that the area was usually free of light pollution and that they were the only person in the area at the time. They had spent a lot of time in this area of Southwold and had seen many military training operations in the past, such as Apache helicopters and stealth planes. However, this sighting was unlike anything they had seen before.
The object’s lights gradually phased out one by one before the object disappeared into the dark. The witness did not hear any sound from the object, and the weather conditions were clear with some clouds in the sky. The moon was not visible at the time of the sighting.
The witness felt shocked, bewildered, and frightened during the sighting. They did not notice any unusual activity in the area, and there were no other witnesses to the event that they know about.
We unable to visit the site in person, however I viewed the site extensively using maps, Google Earth (Fig. 1) and Street View. No other sightings were reported in the area at the time of this sighting, either to one of the many UFO databases or to local newspapers or on social media, that we could see.
There are 6 airfields within close proximity of the sighting and flight tracking software has been checked as well as data on emergency aircraft, and although There were many small aircraft in the area throughout the time in question, they were much higher up and the light pattern would not fit the description given by the witness. The area is very coastal with houses nearby, a lighthouse and the harbour plus beaches in the vicinity.
There was a short video provided with this account, with a screengrab of the lights seen below (Fig. 2).The lack of reaction on the short video does not lend to the witness being shocked or frightened, and there was no commentary which you would expect in this circumstance. The witness stated “5 oblong lights” this was in all likelihood fewer lights but at an angle and possible reflection on the object they were mounted on, giving to the illusion of more lights.
Due to the description of the movements of the object as well as it’s low position in the sky we can rule out most, if not all, celestial explanations such as satellites, meteors, planets and stars. The International Space Station was in the middle of the south Atlantic at this time so would not be visible.
An extensive internet search provided several hundred videos of both daytime and night time videos of drone footage, many uploaded to YouTube and other sites. The area was mentioned on many websites for drone enthusiasts including https://dronescene.co.uk/where-to-fly-drone/southwold-beach-lighthouse/east-of-england/2155. Drone footage uploaded to the internet show very similar patterns in the lights observed, with the changing lights being rather robotic and not fluid in nature. Research was also carried out regarding the most recent drones available and the professional drones used in display events, many of which now use higher intensity LED lights.
Conclusion:
High probability of drone activity.
Due to the witness being familiar with so many conventional aircraft due to the proximity of many airfields and military installations combined with the lack of traditional aircraft sounds at such a short distance as well as the erratic movements I am inclined to rule out helicopters and planes. There were also no emergency helicopters in the area on the night in question.
Due to popularity of the area for drone enthusiasts and the countless videos available on the internet, I am inclined to conclude this was drone activity. The advancements of the new drones, especially ones used in displays, also lends to this conclusion as does the light patterns described by the witness which can be found in many higher end models that are used by those who upload videos to the YouTube channels and serious drone enthusiasts.
As always, we are happy to reopen cases if more information or evidence comes to light. If you would like to report a UFO sighting please fill out our report form HERE and a member of the team will be in touch, thank you.
