A UFO Was Sighted In Massachusetts 71 Years Ago And It's One Of The Most Fascinating UFO Sightings In History
By Kim Falchek|Published October 09, 2023
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Kim Falchek
Author
Kim Falchek has been exploring the towns, trails, and hidden gems of Massachusetts since her college days in Boston. When not writing, Kim enjoys photography, going on road trips, and spending time at the beach. Kim has previously been a contributing writer for LA Family Travel, Global Munchkins, and Latched Mama. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts where she and her family embrace all things Halloween!
Did you know that Massachusetts tops the list of states with the most reported sightings of UFOs? The best-known event took place in 1969 when Thom Reed and his family were supposedly abducted near the Housatonic River in Sheffield. There have also been alleged sightings at the Freetown-Fall River State Forest and Scargo Lake in Dennis. And there was also a creepy occurrence that took place over 70 years ago on the North Shore.
The city of Salem is no stranger to unusual and scary events. Best-known for the witchcraft hysteria in 1692, Salem has also seen its fair share of hauntings and paranormal activity over the years.
Today visitors flock to Salem to celebrate all things ghostly and witchy. However, the city was much less of a Halloween mecca back in 1952, when a strange event took place off the coast.
Back then, Salem was home to a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station which was located at Winter Island, a small area not far from downtown. On July 16, 1952, a Coast Guard photographer named Shell Alpert was witness to what he believed to be an unearthly occurrence.
On this particular morning, Alpert was working in his photography lab when he happened to look out the window and noticed something strange lighting up the sky. There was a formation of four bright lights in a “V” pattern hovering near the power plant smokestacks. Alpert grabbed his camera and snapped this now-infamous photo!
As word got out about what he had witnessed, Alpert became somewhat of a local celebrity. The incident was investigated by numerous agencies and Alpert and his colleague, fellow Coastguardsman Thomas Flaherty (who also saw the lights), were interviewed extensively.
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To this day, the occurrence has remained unexplained. Some have speculated that the lights that Flaherty and Alpert saw were reflections, aircraft, or maybe even a hoax.
Today, Winter Island is a recreational park where you can camp, boat, and swim. I visit here often and have not yet witnessed any type of supernatural activity.
The closest thing we have to UFOs in Salem these days is a pizza joint called Flying Saucer Pizza. If you haven’t visited this award-winning restaurant, you should definitely stop by for some delicious pie.
What do you think about the Salem UFO sighting of 1952? Was it a hoax or the real thing? If you found Shell Alpert’s photo interesting and would like to have a copy of your own, check out this listing on Etsy.
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