Pascagoula Abduction (1973)

On October 11, 1973, shipyard workers Charles Hickson (42) and Calvin Parker (19) were fishing on the Pascagoula River when they reported being taken aboard a craft by robotic-looking beings with wrinkled skin and claw-like hands. After their encounter, they drove to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office to report what happened. The sheriff, suspecting a hoax, secretly left a tape recorder running after leaving the room. The recording captured both men still visibly shaken and terrified when they believed they were alone — Hickson praying and Parker crying. This secret recording is considered some of the strongest evidence against fabrication in any abduction case. Parker later passed multiple polygraph tests. In 2018, Parker broke decades of silence to publish his full account. The Pascagoula case occurred during the massive 1973 UFO wave across the United States, which produced hundreds of reports in October alone. Hynek investigated and found both men credible.