02-09-1956

02-09-1956

Date discrepancy: An introductory explanation is necessary here as two events became entwined into one by a mistake. On January 18, 1956, a Navy aircraft, Lockheed P2V7, took off from the Lockheed Air Terminal in Northern Los Angeles, and as it climbed, it lost a rubber life raft with its emergency equipment. This equipment, first identified as a UFO, was quickly identified for what it really was as it crashed onto the ground in Northern Los Angeles. In the book, UFOs: The Whole Story by Coral and Jim Lorenzen, this date is given for the text of what happened on February 09, 1956, at a different place in Los Angeles (Redondo Beach), and the two separate events become enmeshed at this point. However, with the news clippings I received from CUFOS (Center for UFO Studies), with the towns of Los Angeles and publishing dates given in each paper, I was able to clear up this mystery. However, the event of 02-09-1956 is a story of its own and presented here for your information and opinion. A map of the places mentioned is at the very end of the texts. –CF-:

HERE’S THAT ‘FLYING SAUCER’---Lt. Don Hill, left,

and Bob Meistrell, lifeguards, examine battery-

operated light which fell into sea inside the Redondo

Beach break-water, stirring flying saucer reports.

Times photo

‘Flying Saucer’ at Redondo Sinks in Sea, Lights Water

REDONDO BEACH, Feb. 9 — For a few hours this morning it looked as though the "little men from Mars" were lighting up the waters just inside Redondo breakwater.

Beach residents, lifeguards, and police reported that an object which some believed to be a "flying saucer" hurtled out of the sky and landed in the water at about 1:30 a.m.

It continued to glow in the water for nearly an hour, but dimmed and finally disappeared when lifeguards rowed out to have a look.

“Maybe it's radioactive," suggested Redondo Officer Jack Hopkins. He sent to the station for a Geiger counter—furnished by civil defense—and the lifeguards made a test. There was no reaction.

Finally the watchers decided to wait for dawn before making any further search.

"It was a big thing," said lifeguard Lieutenant Prank Rodecker, who had rowed out to see the object. "It was maybe 15 feet across and it was still glowing down there under the water, almost until we got there."

"Maybe the Martians saw you and turned out the lights," suggested beach resident Martin Dumbrel, 806 Strand, who saw the "saucer" arrive.

"Or maybe they already waded ashore," suggested lifeguard Ted Davis.

The onlookers stood on the shore until dawn awaiting the invaders, but none came. Finally, when it was light, the lifeguards donned rubber suits and aqua-lungs and went to see the Martians.

After about 40 minutes, they found them.

The glow came from a U. S. Signal Corps sea search flashlight which is operated from a special water battery. The light turns itself on automatically when the battery has been in the water about three minutes. It burns for about an hour, according to instructions printed on the side.

This reference: newspaper – Los Angeles Examiner, dated February 10, 1956

ALSO

SEA-SAUCER OR SEARCHLIGHT?

Case 140, Redondo Beach, Cal., Feb. 9, 1956—It all began when patrolmen Marvin Poer and John Freeland sighted a "ball of fire" plunge behind the Redondo Beach breakwater. The mysterious object, bathed in flames, descended from the sky and bobbed eerily on the water's surface before sinking less than 100 yards offshore. Government agencies, including the FBI, were notified and expressed intention of joining the investigation. "It was a big thing," said lifeguard Lt. Frank Rodecker, who rowed out to see the object. "It was maybe 15 feet across and it was still glowing down there under the water, almost until we got there."

Onlookers stood on shore until dawn. Finally, when it was light, the lifeguards donned rubber suits and aqualungs and dove after the - "Martians." After about 40 minutes, they found them—a U. S. Signal Corps sea search flashlight! Operated from a special water battery, the light turns itself on automatically when the battery has been in the water about three minutes. Mrs. I. E. Epperson, who sent CRIFO a raft of clippings covering the grotesquerie, comments, "As usual, there are discrepancies and the reader is left with unanswered questions. The police officers reported that the object was aglow before it hit the water. There was also no explanation as to what kept the solid object afloat for twenty minutes, or longer, and then automatically caused it to sink. If something kept it afloat—why did it finally sink?

Ed: I concur and might add—nobody heard or saw the aircraft which may have dropped the searchlight. And, according to the picture of the searchlight, supposedly found, the half-inch bulb certainly would not appear as a "ball of fire" as reported by several observers.

This reference: Civilian Research, Interplanetary Flying Objects (CRIFO) Orbit, published by Leonard Stringfield in Cincinnati , Ohio , Vol. 2, No. 12.

UFOCAT PRN – NONE [DOS: 01-15-1956]

Note: Date discrepancy although both used the same reference [UFOCAT URN – 065484]

UFOCAT PRN – 65484 [DOS: 01-18-1956] Time of sighting 0815

UFOCAT URN – 026235 Data-Net Report, January 1970

UFOCAT URN – NONE Proceedings of the CUFOS Conference, p. 85, 1976

UFOCAT URN – 062369 Computerized Catalog (N=3076), #XXXX by Jacques Vallee, no © date

UFOCAT Text – No Notes

UFOCAT PRN – 96384 [DOS: 02-09-1956] Time of sighting 0130

UFOCAT URN – NONE Newspaper – Los Angeles, Calif. Mirror-News, dated February 09, 1956

UFOCAT URN – NONE Newspaper – Los Angeles Herald & Express, dated February 09, 1956

UFOCAT URN – NONE Newspaper – Los Angeles Times, dated February 10, 1956

UFOCAT URN – NONE Newspaper – Los Angeles Examiner, dated February 10, 1956

UFOCAT URN – NONE Newspaper – Los Angeles, Calif. Times, dated February 10, 1956

UFOCAT URN – 060123 Newspaper clipping, February 10, 1956 [Paper unknown]

UFOCAT URN – 096384 Newspaper clipping, dated February 10, 1956 [Paper unknown]

UFOCAT URN – 144924 Civilian Saucer Intelligence-NY Newsletter, February 1956

UFOCAT URN – 054579 Civilian Saucer Intelligence-NY Newsletter, February 1956

UFOCAT URN – 026310 CRIFO Newsletter & CRIFO Orbit by Leonard Stringfield, March 1956, p.4

UFOCAT Text - Nautical UFO. Ball of fire reported to have fallen into ocean 75 yards

offshore. Observers could see reflections of object on water surface. Divers went out

and found Army battery-operated signal light.

North America – United States, California

Redondo Beach Latitude 33-50-57 N, Longitude 118-23-15 W (D-M-S)

Reference: http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form

UFO Location (UFOCAT) Latitude 33.84 N, Longitude 118.38 W (D.%)