Quick Info
On the night of October 11, 1973, two shipyard workers, Charles Hickson (42) and Calvin Parker (19), were fishing from an old pier on the Pascagoula River in Mississippi when a glowing oval craft descended silently behind them. Three wrinkled gray, robot-like beings with claw-like hands floated out, levitated the men aboard without touching them, and subjected them to a 15–20 minute examination under bright lights with a scanning device that made buzzing sounds. No pain, but intense fear.
They were returned to the riverbank unharmed. Both men passed polygraph tests; Sheriff Diamond secretly recorded their private conversation and was convinced they were telling the truth. No physical evidence, no wreckage, but one of the most credible abduction cases ever reported because of the witnesses' consistency, lack of motive, and immediate reporting to police.
Timeline of Events – October 11, 1973
Reconstructed from Hickson and Parker's sworn statements, police interviews, J. Allen Hynek's investigation, and Calvin Parker's 2018 book.
- 7:00–7:30 p.m. Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker arrive at the old Shaupeter Shipyard pier on the Pascagoula River to fish. Quiet night, no one else around. They cast lines and talk. Weather clear, mild, light breeze off the water.
- 7:00–7:15 p.m. A blue-white light appears behind them over the river. They turn to see an oval or football-shaped craft (30–40 feet long, no seams, glowing softly) descend silently to about 2–3 feet above the ground, 20–30 feet away. A hatch-like opening appears; three wrinkled gray beings (5–5.5 feet tall) float out without touching the ground. Skin like elephant hide or wrinkled cloth, no necks, carrot-shaped heads, slit-like mouths, pincer/claw hands, no visible eyes or ears, no clothing.
- 7:15 p.m. The beings approach. One makes a buzzing or hissing sound. Hickson feels paralyzed, can't move or call out. Parker faints or goes limp. The beings lift them (levitation, no touch) and float them into the craft through the opening. Inside: bright white light, no furniture, curved walls. A scanning device (elongated, pencil-like) moves over their bodies, making buzzing sounds. No pain, no communication. Examination lasts 15–20 minutes.
- 7:35–7:40 p.m. The beings float them back outside, set them on the pier exactly where they were. Craft rises silently, accelerates away horizontally, disappears in seconds. Both men collapse in terror. Parker crying, Hickson shaking. They sit in the car for several minutes, too stunned to drive.
- 8:00–8:30 p.m. They drive to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in Pascagoula. Report the abduction to Sheriff Fred Diamond and deputies. Diamond records them secretly (later released). Both men terrified, shaking, Hickson says "I thought they were going to kill us." Diamond believes them.
- October 12 onward Story leaks to press. Hickson and Parker give interviews, pass polygraph tests (Hickson multiple times). J. Allen Hynek and others investigate. No radar hits, no other witnesses on river. Medical exams show stress but no clear physical proof of abduction.
What Hickson and Parker Described
The beings were 5–5.5 feet tall, gray wrinkled skin (like elephant hide or very old cloth), no necks, heads shaped like carrots or upside-down pears, slit-like mouths, pincer/claw hands (three fingers?), no visible eyes or ears, no clothing. They floated, never walked. No speech, only buzzing/hissing.
"They weren't human. They had wrinkled gray skin, claw hands, no eyes I could see. They floated. They took me inside... a bright light, a device moved over me buzzing. I thought I was dead."
– Charles Hickson (multiple interviews and 1983 book)
Inside craft: bright white light, no furniture, curved walls, scanning device moved over body (buzzing sound). Levitation: lifted without touch. No pain, but overwhelming fear.
"I passed out when they came. When I came to, I was on the ground again. Charlie was shaking. We knew we couldn't tell anyone without sounding crazy."
– Calvin Parker (2018 book & interviews)
The men were returned exactly where they were taken from. Parker fainted at one point, while Hickson was more aware but still paralyzed.
Theories and Debates
Extraterrestrial abduction: Strongest case for many, two witnesses, immediate police report, polygraphs, consistent details, no motive to lie. Levitation, scanning device, floating beings match classic abduction patterns.
Psychological / hallucination: Shared stress or misperception (owl, buoy lights?), but polygraphs and Sheriff Diamond's recording argue against hoax.
Secret military test: Craft and beings could be advanced human tech or drones, but no records or leaks in 50+ years.
Hoax: No evidence; both men lived quiet lives, suffered real trauma, never profited significantly.
The Investigation and Aftermath
Sheriff Fred Diamond believed them immediately, secretly recorded their private conversation after they thought he left the room; both men were shaking, crying, terrified, no sign of lying. Both passed polygraph tests (Hickson multiple times). J. Allen Hynek investigated for CUFOS and found the witnesses to be credible. No radar tapes/data or other witnesses on river. Medical exams showed stress, minor abrasions, but no clear abduction proof.
Charles Hickson passed away in 2011, but you can watch his full movie he made on the event below and make up your own mind if you find him credible or not. I do. Calvin Parker suffered PTSD from the event. He wrote the 2018 book "Pascagoula - The Closest Encounter," before passing on 2023. The Pascagoula case remains open in UFO research with still no official explanation.
"In Contact" The Pascagoula UFO Abduction. Directed by Charles Hickson
More videos on the Pascagoula abduction
Legacy in 2026
53 years later, Pascagoula is still one of the most credible abduction cases: two working-class witnesses, no fame-seeking, immediate reporting, polygraphs, Sheriff's belief, no contradictory evidence. Featured in books (Hickson's 1983 "UFO Contact at Pascagoula," Parker's 2018 book), documentaries, and TV shows.
In 2026, with renewed UFO/UAP hearings and interest in close encounters, people revisit it as evidence of non-human intelligence interacting with humans. No physical proof ever surfaced, but the fear in their voices on that secret tape still gives people chills. The secretly recorded tape is what makes me believe something extremely weird happened to these 2 men, to simply blow the event off as "oh they were drunk.." is, in my opinion, simply ridiculous.
