Historical Report of 'Man with Wings' Emerges Out of Milwaukee

Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters received a report last Sunday from a witness who said he saw a "man with wings" flying over a boat docking facility on the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee on June 21st, 2001.

"This past Sunday, I was a part of a live online alien experiencers' chat session," Strickler said. "I had mentioned 'Phantoms & Monsters' and was discussing some of my work. One of the participants, who happened to live in Milwaukee, asked about winged humanoids and mentioned that he had a sighting in 2001. He was unaware of the Chicago area and recent Wisconsin sightings. So I asked the witness to call me after the session."

'AD' called me a few hours later. He stated that the sighting occurred on June 21, 2001 at a boat docking facility on the Kinnickinnic River, now called Horny Goat Marina. It is located at 1933 S. 1st St. about 1 mile west of Milwaukee Bay on Lake Michigan.

AD and two friends were taking a sailboat out of dry dock. It was early afternoon. As he looked up at the mast, he noticed a winged flying object just east of his location. AD is a military veteran, so this sighting was quite confusing. It was a clear sky, so he was able to see some detail. He also stated that it was hard to judge the altitude of this object. As he watched, he began to distinguish more detail, and soon realized that this was not a craft. It was apparent that this was a 'man with wings' and it was quite large. He estimates the the huge bat-like wings were approximately 30 ft. from tip to tip and were attached to the hips. The body, which was entirely medium brown, was about 10 ft. in length with a head that had no neck, and seemed to be a part of the upper torso. The arms were attached to the wings. There were no legs, but instead there was a notched structure in the back. The winged being never flapped its wings, and simply glided.

"The most interesting aspect to this wing being was that it twice 'disappeared,' then reappeared during the short time that AD and his friends observed it," Strickler noted. "AD had a pair of binoculars handy and briefly watched the best he could, since the being flew about quickly. At the end, it vanished out of sight, which amazed the 3 eyewitnesses. AD said that he had the sense that 'it knew that we were watching it.'"

This is one of a growing number of historical reports to be submitted regarding flying humanoids in the Lake Michigan area following the better-known flap that began in 2017.  Most of the sightings have taken place near the lakefront in Chicago within a few miles of Lake Michigan, although there are some reports coming from the suburbs surrounding Chicago and even farther afield--expanding out from the great lake.  The sightings generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park, and around water.  Witnesses consistently describe a large, bat or bird-like creature, although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like; and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported.  Many of the sightings are also of something seen only briefly or are described only as a flying creature with few details, which leaves open the possibility that a large bird or bird-like being could explain some encounters. 

To report a sighting, reach out to us directly at The Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

You can view a timeline of the sightings so far here, and an interactive map here.