Reports from the Void: 'I Have Seen the Winged Creature'

(Emily Wayland / Singular Fortean Society)

The Singular Fortean Society received the following email on January 29th, 2019; the witness’ name and phone number have been removed.

I have seen the winged creature. Location is near New Boston, Michigan. About 25 miles southwest of Detroit. I was driving to work at 3:10am the Sunday before Thanksgiving 2018. I was going east on Sibley Rd. All of a sudden this black winged creature comes up from the ditch on the right side of the road and takes off straight up. No flapping. Wing span looked to be 10 ft. It had a smooth leather look on the wings. I didn’t see a face because it happened so quick and I was focused on how big the wings were. This happened in a matter of 3 seconds and then it was gone. I tried to wrap my mind around what I just saw. Also the location was near 2 metro parks. If you google map New Boston and zoom into Sibley Rd and I-275 then scroll east and that was my path I was driving. And questions or additional information please text me first because I don’t answer numbers I don’t know.

Investigator Tobias Wayland made contact with the witness via text message, and scheduled a phone interview. The witness did not answer the phone at the scheduled time, stating later that she was sorry but she had fallen asleep. An attempt by Wayland to reschedule the interview met with no response.

The sighting location stated in the email is within a couple of miles of Lower Huron Metropark and Willow Metropark; both natural areas preserved by local government along the Huron River. It is approximately 150 miles east of Lake Michigan, and around 20 miles northwest of Lake Erie.

This is the latest news in a string of ‘Mothman’ sightings from within a few hundred mile radius surrounding Lake Michigan, including every state bordering the great lake. These sightings ostensibly began in the spring of 2017, but more historical accounts are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon. They generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large, gray or black, bat or bird-like creature—although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like—sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, or orange eyes, and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported. Some witnesses have reported feeling intense fear and an aura of evil emanating from the creature they encountered. 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—although certainly not all—of the 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.

Reports from the Void is a repository to share those stories for which we do not have enough information to make a full report. This is usually because of little or no communication from the witness following their initial submission. The Singular Fortean Society will always provide as much information as possible regarding any correspondence during our attempts to speak with those involved.

This series is meant only to present you with the full breadth of the information sent to us, and makes no judgments towards the veracity of any stories shared within it.

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