Original Documentation

Modern investigation techniques shed new light on this sighting. 

## Summary

On the evening of October 11, 1973, co-workers Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker were fishing from a pier on the Pascagoula River when they claimed a UAP appeared and three bizarre creatures floated them aboard. The beings, described as robotic with claw-like hands and carrot-shaped heads, allegedly examined them before releasing them. Initially skeptical, local police became convinced by the men's genuine terror, especially when secret recordings captured their continued panic when alone. The case gained international attention and remains one of the most debated abduction accounts in UAP history.

## The Setting

### The Fishing Trip

On October 11, 1973:
- Charles Hickson (42) and Calvin Parker (19) 
- Co-workers at Walker Shipyard
- Decided to fish after work
- Went to abandoned Shaupeter Shipyard pier
- West bank of Pascagoula River
- Around 7:00 PM

### The Men

**Charles Hickson:**
- Foreman at shipyard
- Korean War veteran
- Married with children
- No prior UAP interest
- Well-respected locally

**Calvin Parker:**
- Recently arrived from Jones County
- Quiet, reserved young man
- Living with Hickson temporarily
- No history of tall tales

## The Encounter

### Initial observation

Around 9:00 PM:
- Heard mysterious zipping sound
- Blue lights appeared
- Oval-shaped vessel approached
- Hovered 2 feet above ground
- About 30-40 feet from them
- Estimated 8 feet wide, 10 feet tall

### The Craft

Hickson described:
- Football-shaped
- Grayish in color
- Two portholes with blue lights
- No visible seams or doors
- Made humming/hissing sound

### The Beings Emerge

Three creatures appeared:
- Floated from craft
- About 5 feet tall
- Grayish, wrinkled skin
- No eyes visible
- Slit for mouth
- Carrot or cone-shaped heads
- Claw-like hands

## The Abduction

### Paralysis and Capture

Both men reported:
- Sudden inability to move
- Remained conscious
- Creatures approached them
- One being grabbed each man
- Floated into craft
- Parker fainted from fear

### Inside the Craft

Hickson remained conscious:
- Bright, brilliant lighting
- No visible source of light
- Floated horizontally
- Eye-like device examined him
- Moved over his body
- No communication from beings
- Estimated 15-20 minutes

### Parker's Experience

Calvin Parker:
- Remembered less detail
- Recalled extreme fear
- Being paralyzed
- Bright lights
- Examination sensation
- Mostly unconscious

### Return

The men reported:
- Floated back to pier
- Placed standing up
- Beings returned to craft
- entity rose straight up
- Disappeared instantly
- Movement and speech returned

## Immediate Aftermath

### Initial Reaction

After the craft left:
- Both men in shock
- Parker hysterical
- Sat in car for 45 minutes
- Drank whiskey to calm nerves
- Debated what to do
- Decided to report incident

### Decision to Report

Despite fears of ridicule:
- Felt duty to report
- Worried about radiation
- Concerned for public safety
- Drove to Keesler Air Force Base
- Told to contact local police

## Police analysis

### Jackson County Sheriff's Office

At 10:30 PM:
- Arrived at sheriff's office
- Met Deputies Ryder and Mathis
- Both men visibly shaken
- Parker couldn't stop shaking
- Story seemed incredible
- Officers noted genuine distress

### Sheriff Fred Diamond

The Sheriff:
- Initially skeptical
- Interviewed men separately
- Stories matched perfectly
- Decided to test them
- Left tape recorder running
- Exited room with deputy

### The Secret Recording

When alone, instead of dropping act:
- Continued discussing experience
- Expressed genuine fear
- Parker: "I can't take much more"
- Hickson: "Jesus Christ, they better wake up"
- Convinced officers of sincerity

## Medical Examination

### Hospital Visit

That night:
- Taken to hospital
- Checked for radiation
- Physical examination
- No unusual findings
- Both men exhausted
- Released after tests

### Psychological State

Doctors noted:
- Extreme anxiety
- No signs of intoxication
- No data of drugs
- Genuine trauma symptoms
- Recommended rest

## Media Explosion

### Initial Coverage

October 12, 1973:
- Story broke nationally
- Wire services picked up
- International coverage began
- Reporters flooded Pascagoula
- Men overwhelmed by attention

### Press Conference

October 12 press conference:
- Hundreds of reporters
- Hickson spoke for both
- Parker too traumatized
- Maintained story despite pressure
- Offered to take any tests

## examination Deepens

### Polygraph Tests

Both men passed lie detector tests:
- Conducted by experts
- No deception indicated
- Heightened stress confirmed
- Results publicly released

### Hypnotic Regression

Dr. James Harder (UC Berkeley):
- Hypnotized both men
- Sessions confirmed stories
- No significant new details
- Emotional reactions intense
- Particularly Parker's fear

### J. Allen Hynek

Air Force consultant investigated:
- Interviewed both witnesses
- Found them credible
- No data of hoax
- Classified as "close encounter of third kind"

## Public Reaction

### Local Response

Pascagoula community:
- Initially divided
- Many knew Hickson's character
- Some reported other sightings
- Tourist influx began
- Economic impact notable

### Skeptical Analysis

Debunkers suggested:
- Hallucination from toxins
- Elaborate hoax for fame
- Misidentified conventional craft
- Shared delusion

All theories had problems with proof.

## Other Witnesses

### Additional Sightings

Same night in area:
- Coast Guard reported Aerial Anomaly
- Multiple drivers saw lights
- Radar anomalies reported
- Other fishing witnesses

### Earlier Encounters

examination revealed:
- Prior UAP reports in area
- Pattern of river sightings
- Historical accounts similar

## Long-term Effects

### Charles Hickson

Following years:
- Became Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon speaker
- Wrote book about experience
- Never changed story
- Died in 2011
- Maintained truth to end

### Calvin Parker

Initially:
- Nervous breakdown
- Avoided publicity
- Left area for years
- Suffered PTSD symptoms

Later:
- Returned to public eye (2018)
- Wrote own book
- Additional memories surfaced
- Maintains experience real

## Scientific Interest

### Creature Description

Unique aspects:
- Robotic appearance
- Unusual locomotion
- Claw-like appendages
- No typical "grey" features
- Mechanical behavior

### Craft Characteristics

Reported features:
- Unusual shape
- Silent hovering
- Instant acceleration
- No visible propulsion
- Bright internal lighting

## Corroborating testimony

### Physical Effects

Both men showed:
- Puncture marks on arms
- Extreme physiological stress
- Consistent trauma symptoms
- No data of fabrication

### individual Character

study revealed:
- No prior interest in UFOs
- No financial motive initially
- Good community standing
- No history of deception

## Alternative Theories

### Secret Military Craft

Some proposed:
- Experimental vehicle
- Military personnel in suits
- Psychological experiment
- Cover story for classified event

Problems:
- No matching technology
- Creature descriptions
- Military denied involvement

### Natural Phenomena

Skeptics suggested:
- Plasma discharge
- Ball lightning
- Swamp gas hallucination
- Temperature inversion effects

None explained complete experience.

## Cultural Impact

### Media Representations

The case inspired:
- TV movies
- Documentary features
- Book publications
- Aerial Anomaly conference staple

### Tourism Effect

Pascagoula developed:
- Aerial Anomaly markers
- Tourist attractions
- Annual commemorations
- Economic benefits

## Modern Developments

### Calvin Parker's Return

In 2018, Parker:
- Published detailed book
- Revealed new witnesses
- Shared additional memories
- Found others who saw craft

### New Witnesses

Recent investigations found:
- Additional observers that night
- People afraid to speak earlier
- Corroborating testimonies
- Similar creature descriptions

## Case Significance

The Pascagoula abduction remains important for:
- Police tape data
- Multiple observer reports
- Unique being descriptions
- Psychological authenticity
- Cultural impact
- Enduring mystery

## Conclusions

Whether the Pascagoula abduction was:
- Genuine alien encounter
- Misidentified experience
- Psychological incident
- Elaborate deception

The case provides compelling data of:
- Genuine trauma experienced
- Consistent testimony maintained
- Official study interest
- Unexplained phenomena occurrence

The secret police recording of Hickson and Parker's continued distress when alone remains one of the most powerful pieces of evidence supporting their sincerity. Whatever happened on that pier in 1973 profoundly affected two ordinary men and created one of Aerial Anomaly history's most enduring mysteries.

The witness testimony and evidence from this incident provide crucial insights for contemporary UFO investigation.