The two men were both from the town of Gautier, Mississippi, and were doing some fishing in the Pascagoula River on a dark night about 9:00 P.M. They suddenly heard a type of buzzing behind them. Both men turned around to see the source of the sound, and were amazed to see a glowing, egg-shaped object with bluish lighting on it's front side. The unusual craft was hovering just a few feet above the ground, and about 30 feet from the shore of the river. To their unbelief, a door opened in the object, and three strange beings began to float just above the water straight toward them. Though the beings had legs, they did not use them, they simply floated across the river. Parker and Hickson would later describe the beings as "about five feet tall, had bullet-shaped heads without necks, slits for mouths, and where their noses or ears would be, they had thin, conical objects sticking out, like carrots from a snowman's head. They had no eyes, grey, wrinkled skin, round feet, and claw-like hands."

Hickson, frozen in fear and unbelief, was grabbed by two of these creatures, and the third one took Parker, who fainted from fright. Hickson would later relate that when the beings put their arms under his body to support him, he felt numb all over. He was then floated into a a brightly-lit room inside of the UFO. Inside this room, he floated, along with an eye-like device which examined him all over. After his ordeal, Hickson was left floating, while the beings left the room, probably to examine Parker. Approximately 20 minutes after the ordeal had begun, it was over, and Hickson was floated back outside of the strange craft. Parker was crying, and praying on the ground. Only a moment or two later, the craft rose straight up into the air and disappeared.

As the two men began to regain their composure, they were uncertain as to what they should do. Reluctant to report their harrowing experience, they felt obligated to tell someone. Despite fearing ridicule, they telephoned Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi. Kessler refereed their problem to their local sheriff's office. Afraid of what reaction they might get from law enforcement, they opted instead to drive to their local newspaper. Finding the office closed, they decided to take their bizarre story to the sheriff after all. Naturally the sheriff felt the two men's story was some kind of hoax, and to get to the truth, he put Hickson and Parker into a room which was wired for sound, hoping that they would slip up, and reveal why they were perpetuating such a strange tale.

Soon news of the event began to surface. The local press released the story first; quickly followed by the wire services. Within a few days, the Pascagoula incident was major news all over the USA. The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO), sent University of California professor James Harder to investigate; Dr. J. Allen Hynek, representing the US Air Force, also arrived to look into the story. Harder and Hynek interviewed Hickson and Parker together. Harder hypnotized Hickson, but he became so frightened that the session had to be aborted.

The two abductees were encouraged to take a lie-detector test, which they both passed. Harder and Hynek, both highly respected in their professions, believed the two men's story. At a later date, Hynek stated; "There was definitely something here that was not terrestrial". In what may be a related incident, a couple of weeks after this chilling account, Coast Guardsmen and fishermen had an encounter with an underwater metallic object. This strange object had an amber light on it, and the Guard chased it in the Pascagoula River. The object was close enough to touch, but each time it was prodded with a large boat hook, it would turn off it's light, move a distance away, and turn it's light back on. This unusual encounter lasted about 40 minutes before the craft disappeared.

The Pascagoula encounter is one of the most unusual accounts of all UFO reports. Though the sighting and abduction involved only two witnesses, there were several other sightings of unusual flying objects on the same night. The two men have held to their story, though no explanation has been offered for the strange events of the night of October, 11, 1973.

Hickson-Parker Abduction Revisited

Pascagoula, Mississippi Abductions       Description : Charles Hickson / Calvin Parker , October, 11, 1973 Hickson and Calvin Parker were both abducted while fishing on the Pascagoula River on October 11, 1973. The case has become one of the mainstays of UFO abduction. The Pascagoula encounter is one of the most unusual accounts of all UFO reports. Though the sighting and abduction involved only two witnesses, there were several other sightings of unusual flying objects on the same night. The two men have held to their story, though no explanation has been offered for the strange events of the night of October, 11, 1973. Hear Hickson in his own words. Dr. J. Allen Hynek was convinced by the details of the Pascagoula Abduction, and conducted interviews with Hickson. Hear the interview streamed here. Click here to listen to Hickson interview >     Click here to listen to Parker interview > Click here to view report Page  > Date added: 2003-03-02