Jack O' Lantern?
My wife two kidsour Golden Retriever dog and I were on a boating holiday on theNorfolk Broads in the UK on midsummer’s day in the 1983. Animmense storm in the evening looked likely to scupper a plannedlate evening fishing session. On water storms seem ten timeslouder so I spent the duration calming and distracting the kids.Fortunately the thunder and lightening started to abate about 10pmso I decided I’d get a couple of hours angling in undertorchlight. The wife decided to have an early night along withthe kids so it left me in the waning light alone with my dog forcompany taking in the misty beautiful river and surroundingcountryside. By about 11.30 all the other boats were in darknessand I had just a torch and a small navigation light on the frontof the boat to unhook the now hungrily feeding fish by.
Suddenly a bright beam of fluorescent luminous green lightstarted working its way down the river behind the trees. My firstthought was that it was a group of inconsiderate fellow anglersapproaching when suddenly a ball about the size of a kiddie’sfootball appeared to bounce over the trees and when it came toour boat it stopped. The hound and I dived inside the boat with aclatter whilst the “ball” which had a bright beam oflight shining out of one side silently moved back and forth in abobbing motion. The wife shouted “is everything alright”from the cabin and not wanting to alarm her or the kids Ianswered“yes”. The funny thing is that my initialfright was rapidly replaced with a calm curiosity and both thedog and I ventured back outside. The object continued movingaround the boat over the tow-path and over the water but alwayscame to a bobbing standstill about six feet way from me and my bynow equally transfixed pooch. Occasionally its beam shonedirectly at us and was bright enough to dazzle. Growing inconfidence I started shining my torch back at it and the mostremarkable thing happened the bobbing stopped it seemed to freezein mid-air resuming its bobbing movement when I turned the lightoff. No doubt about it whatever it was reacted to light and wasattached to us. Eventually I stored the fishing gear locked theboat and went to bed. Even after retiring I could still see itmoving around the boat through the cabin window. The thing thatbugs me to this day is HOW I could be so laid back with theunknown hovering outside.
When we got back my Dad said that he’d read about sightingof ”Willow the Wisp” and “Jack O’ Lanternwhilst we’d been away and he “experts” had put itdown to marsh gas. All I can say is that the object wascontrolled in its movements and reacted and interacted with itssurroundings so that gives it some form of conscious intelligencebut it was too big and bright to be any living creature (as weknow it).
The thing that I cannot understand all these years later is how Ibecame so calm and accepting of the unknown object so quickly.Even if I did not want to spook the family I cannot believe that
I simply locked up went to bed and fell soundly asleep withwhatever it was outside the craft. At the very least I would haveimagined making myself a tea or coffee and observing it for theduration just in case there was something more mysterious afoot.I didn’t conscientiously hear anything but wonder if the“calming” effect was some sort of subliminal suggestion.The only l record of the event was a black Polaroid picture (unfortunatelytaken with a flash) which I still have today but all it shows isan indistinct blob of light in the gloom which I suppose provesnothing.
I’ve been back to the same spot on the same date but havenot been fortunate enough to see it again. I would dearly love todo so.