2008-08-02 - Gravenhurst, ON - Cone

At end of fireworks, 30-40 objects,2 squadrons of 15-20 each, 1 single rear guard, bright orange,haze glow, pear or cone shape

Report Date: August 3rd, 2008-08-03, 7:30am EST
Occurrence: 10pm, EST, Saturday, August 2md, 2008-08-03
Location of Event: Lake Muskoka, Gravenhurst Bay, Government Wharf Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada
Reporting Event: Immediately following local fireworks display from 9:30pm to 10:00pm EST Approximately 200-250 local cottagers in boats on lake watching fireworks, several hundred viewers on land on docks, government wharf Immediate
Witnesses: 4 family members in my boat, [4 adults], many other boaters on lake pointing upwards to sky. Hundreds of local cottagers and residents of the town of Gravenhurst standing on the mainland docks watching the end of the fireworks display.

Visual Description: 2 separate squadrons of 15-20 in each squadron, of bright orange, pear-shaped, glowing objects [similar in shape to a triangular Gemini space capsule], flying a loose triangle formation, flying from north to south west across the sky very slowly [about the speed of a helicopter]. Each squadron appeared on the northern horizon at the north end of the 22 mile long lake, and moved slowly southwards and south west towards the end of the lake and then continued southwards out of line of sight towards the City of Toronto area approximately 100 kilometres south.

First squadron appeared and flew overhead over a period of 3-4 minutes at what appeared to be a lower level height of a commercial airliner [10,000 to 20,000ft], which was followed about one minute later by a second squadron at the same height and speed. After both squadrons disappeared on the southern horizon, a single bright orange object [which appeared slightly larger than the others] appeared in the north, and followed the same southwards path, somewhat like a rear guard. There was no sound. The bright orange objects had a very bright glow [an unusual vivid orange glow and narrow margin of orange is haze around them, and left no visible entrails or tracking marks in the sky. Each squadron formation changed in shape slightly as they moved slowly across the sky, with the distance between object changing slightly occasionally, and the shape of the formation adjusting slightly from triangular to single line shapes, and then back to into more of a box/square formation.

Credentials of Reporting Source: 55 year old male, resident of Toronto, Canada, spending weekends at cottage 100 kms north of Toronto in the lake district known as Muskoka, Ontario. Resident has a cottage on Lake Muskoka, and had 4 adult witnesses in his watercraft, leaving from a 30 minute fireworks display with hundreds of other boaters and cottagers. Reporter is CEO of a Canadian advertising agency, is a licensed private pilot, licensed power watercraft operator, licensed amateur radio operator, and is a knowledgeable meteorology student.


((NUFORC Note: Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information. PD))