2015-05-23 - Hertel, WI - Disk

Bright red/orange light at first, no lights after it turned, black craft, no sound

It was about 7 pm, or so, and we were all over in the big field where general camping is at the mud bogs in Hertel, Wisconsin. It was pretty overcast, but the clouds were solid and flat so it was like a grey background. It was still pretty light out, light enough for me to have shades, which I removed when we got where we were going.

The people I was with had decided to stop the truck at this random campsite and we all got out. I was just kind of standing there by the fire, not really paying attention to anyone, just looking around the campground, since I hadn't been over to the field before then. I looked behind me and saw this really bright red/orange light coming from the southwest headed northeast.

I turned around and thought, "Wow, that's a really bright light." Of course I thought it was a plane and that I was just standing at the perfect angle for it to look so bright. What the hell else could it be but a plane? It was as bright as a flare from a flare gun when its brightest. I'd say it was a good 10 miles out from me coming directly towards me. The light never flickered nor did it blink at all.

So I turn to one of the guys that I came with and say, "Kevin. Look at that light. Is that a plane?" He looks for a few seconds and says, "Yeah, it's a plane." He's apparently done with it because he turns back to his conversation. Now, I watched this thing approach for a good three minutes. Three minutes is a damn long time from the time I saw it first. Had it been a plane, it would have flown over us and been gone LONG before this point.

I noticed it when it was probably ten miles out. It was at about 5000 feet or so, pretty low, and got to within, I'd say, a couple miles and did this extremely slow turn to the south. The red light was gone. That's when I got a really good look at it. There was not a single light on it. None. It was a black shape against the grey sky and it seemed sort of octagonal. I say seemed because that's just how it kinda felt. Not sure if that makes sense, but... No flashing lights, like ALL planes are required to have. No lights AT ALL. I didn't see any type of wings, nor a tail fin, landing gear, nothing. It was moving WAY slower than any plane could and it took the turn to go south in a much tighter arch than a plane could. Not a 90 degree angle, but at least a forty degree angle.

I watched the thing for a good 5 to 7 minutes. I was waiting for lights to come on, that maybe it really was some kind of plane and it had lost power or something, but nope. It cruised serenely across the sky. There was no sound of any kind and the only music was way on the other side of the field, so if it had been any kind of plane, I would've heard it. It was close enough that everyone would've heard a plane.

I was so tripped out it didn't even occur to me to ask for someone's phone. Mine was on the charger in my tent, of course. It was like watching a train wreck or a tornado. I was just freaked. I could only stand there with my mouth hanging open until I couldn't see it anymore. It was NOT a plane. It was not a drone, at least not one I've ever seen or could find on the Internet, and if it was, what the hell was it doing cruising over the middle of nowhere Wisconsin? It was not a weather balloon. It was not a Go-Pro. It's course was far steadier than a plane and much slower. I say steadier because it was almost as if it were moving on a ruler edge. Straight as hell. Also, a plane would fall at that slow of a speed. It was not a stealth bomber; it had no wings or tail fin. I simply do not know what it was. Period.


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