Eyewitness 13 Testimony

Interview with Eyewitness 13 conducted by NIDS August 23, 2001
Re: Carteret, New Jersey Sighting of Orange Lights July 15, 2001

NIDS: ...from beginning to end what you recall about that sighting?

EW 13: Okay. It was...it was nighttime, cause I noticed...recall the time--probably about 1:00 at night, maybe give or take 15 minutes, and I was by the front door of Waterloo Café in Staten Island--which the front door overlooks off the Kill Harbor [Great Kills Harbor?], I guess it's called or something, and it's water and across the bay is another land mass-I guess it's New Jersey, and I was...I was inside the front door. We noticed bri-real bright light outside, almost like...uh...uh...like the sun came up real quick and went right down. And one of the other workers said to me, "Did you see that?" I walked outside to the deck, we looked up to see what was going on and on the horizon I saw 1, 2, 3, 4, like 5...5 round lights, bright lights, in the shape of an arrow almost, coming at us and they...they moved and they stopped and they moved and they stopped and we were just like...everyone now just pointed looking up. There was like 20 of us and there was a bunch of guys there from the Coast Guard who came to have dinner at our place and they were looking up. They came out 'cause they've never seen anything like it. We were all just going, "Are you watching this?" They were the ones who kept saying that to each other-"Is everybody watching this?" And a girl took a picture and she had out one of those box 35 mm cameras and she kept clicking away. She took one or 2 pictures, that's all she had left. And as the lights got ...I want to say our...our necks were up at a 45° angle, all of us, and the 2 lights on the left side just took off, 'Boom!'-just disappeared. We saw them go up like as fast as you can go and then the 2 on the left side, our...our right would be-those 2 lights just went up and disappeared as fast as they could go. Just shot like someone shot a gun, "Boom!"-that's how fast they went. And then as the last one was overhead it was just glowing and glowing and then all of a sudden, "Boom!", it just took off so fast like a shooting star. We all just looked at each other, "Did you see what just happened?" And then right away we called Channel 2 News. We got on our cell phones and everyone said, "Who can we call?" I said, "Well let's call the news." We called Channel 2 news up and they sort of blew us off. They didn't believe it, and then the next day in the paper we saw that other people also had seen that so...well we tried to call anyone we could to let them know that we did in fact see it and, you know, we had 5 or 6, 7 people that definitely saw it and we hopefully got a picture of it. But...I don't know. According to the girl, I think, the pictures didn't come out. I'm not sure but some people did come down from a college and talked to us and they said they did speak to the Coast Guard guys and they got the same story that we gave them. But they didn't know what it was. It definitely wasn't an airplane. It definitely wasn't a helicopter-it just moved too fast for that. And the way they were real herky jerky-the way it was moving and just disappeared on us was...we just didn't know what it was. And, you know, we're not country boys. You hear about these things in the country, but we're city boys and [inaudible] that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

NIDS: Okay. Let me get some information about you and then I'll go on down through my...my checklist. What's...what's your age?

EW 13: 41 years old.

NIDS: Okay. And your occupation?

EW 13: Um, well I got a lot of jobs.

NIDS: Oh, okay.

EW 13: Well, I work at the club-I do security at the club and I...I'm a Federal Fugitive Enforcement Agent. I arrest people with warrants.

NIDS: Federal Fugitive...?

EW 13: Enforcement Agent.

NIDS: Enforcement Agent. Oh, okay.

EW 13: Federal Fugitive Enforcement Agent.

NIDS: Yeah, I got it. I...I didn't...was wondering if there's a...an abbreviated term...

EW 13: Yeah-FFEA.

NIDS: Oh yeah. Okay. Like a marshall or something?

EW 13: Yeah.

NIDS: Okay. Do you have an e-mail address?

EW 13: Uh, yeah.

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: Um, e-mail address...well, I have 2, actually-one for my work.

NIDS: Okay. Do you...do you know [inaudible]?

EW 13: Okay, I'll give you mine. Mine is ******

NIDS: With webtv are you able to look at graphics and things-web pages?

EW 13: Yeah.

NIDS: Okay. I wasn't sure. And what's your address?

EW 13: My home address?

NIDS: Uh-huh.

EW 13: ******

NIDS: Yeah, that's exactly what I put. Okay, so you are on Staten Island?

EW 13: Right. Overlooking the water.

NIDS: Do you...do you remember the date?

EW 13: I don't remember the date.

NIDS: Okay. Does...oh, you said it was about 1:00, give or take?

EW 13: Give or take. You know why-we started at 10:00 and it didn't happen right away. It almost happened like 1:00 [inaudible].

NIDS: You saw the what?

EW 13: We start work at 10:00 [inaudible].

NIDS: Oh, okay.

EW 13: So...

NIDS: Alright.

EW 13: And we had a bunch of Coast Guard there [inaudible].

NIDS: How long did you watch it altogether?

EW 13: I'm going to say maybe 3 or 4 minutes I watched this for.

NIDS: Do you recall the weather that night?

EW 13: The weather was clear as a bell. It was clear as day-a beautiful night out.

NIDS: Okay, were these lights separate, individual lights or was it...did they seem to be connected?

EW 13: They seemed separate, individual.

NIDS: Okay. And you saw...

EW 13: They looked like an arrowhead coming at us.

NIDS: How many lights did you see?

EW 13: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...about 5. Right now I'm thinking it's either 5 or 7-it just looked like an arrow...

NIDS: Uh-huh?

EW 13:...coming at us. But it didn't come like straight-keep coming like a plane or a helicopter. It was coming...it moved out, stopped, moved out, stopped.

NIDS: Okay. What color were the lights?

EW 13: Uh...they were very...they were like orangy, I guess, with a...like a silver rim around it...

NIDS: Silver...

EW 13: Like an arrow.

NIDS: Did you say "rim" or "ring"?

EW 13: Yeah, like a rim, like a silver rim.

NIDS: Okay. Around each one?

EW 13: Yeah.

NIDS: How fast did they move?

EW 13: They were all moving...not fast. I mean we could watch 'em no problem, but when they disappeared, they just took off like...as fast as anything I've ever seen go. Just, "Choo!" Just like...like if someone were to shot [sic] 'em out of a gun, like. They just took off [inaudible].

NIDS: Okay. Okay. Did you hear any sound?

EW 13: No. Actually we couldn't hear sound 'cause there was music...

NIDS: Oh, okay.

EW 13: ...from the club, going on, so...you couldn't hear 'em out there.

NIDS: Okay. How big was each light?

EW 13: How big was each light?

NIDS: Yeah, if you can compare like, oh, I don't know, maybe hold your thumb up or your fist up at arm's length or...

EW 13: Yeah. Well if I'm looking...you know, if I'm looking up-I don't know how far away they were, you know? They could've been...you know, I'm not sure but from what I was...from where...my vantage point, how big did they look? They looked like uh...I'm trying to say...like when I looked up they looked like hockey-puck size [inaudible], you know what I'm saying?

NIDS: Oh, okay.

EW 13: I'm looking up at them and that's how big they looked.

NIDS: Like if you held a hockey puck at arm's length?

EW 13: At arm's length that's what they looked like.

NIDS: You're telling me it was about that big? Okay.

EW 13: Yeah.

NIDS: So we realize you can't know exactly where it is in the sky...

EW 13: Right.

NIDS: So that's why we usually add arm's length comparisons, but you came up with a...a good one. And now, all of them together-how big was that?

EW 13: All of them together?

NIDS: Uh-huh.

EW 13: They was...if you could picture like they...they were in an arrow formation...

NIDS: Uh-huh...

EW 13: And between each one of 'em, if I'm looking at all of this at a hockey puck lane [?]...

NIDS: Uh-huh?

EW 13: There's about a hockey puck void in-between each of them.

NIDS: Oh, okay.

EW 13: 'Cause they weren't all together, like real smashed together. They was separated.

NIDS: Uh-huh.

EW 13: They was separated, all of them.

NIDS: Okay. When they came toward you before they started splitting off...

EW 13: Right.

NIDS: ...did they move in unison, together, or did they move...

EW 13: Yes, they moved in unison.

NIDS: Oh, okay.

EW 13: But it wasn't like a steady coming at us. It was moved up and stopped...

NIDS: Uh-huh.

EW 13: And then moved up, and when they stopped they would stop-not the helicopter, like, you know how a helicopter will be moving about a little bit of distance? They just stopped.

NIDS: Okay. Do you have any idea how high in the sky they were? Were they higher than helicopters? Higher than...

EW 13: Yeah.

NIDS: Higher than...

EW 13: They were higher.

NIDS: ...I don't know, jet planes at cruising altitude?

EW 13: They...right. They were probably like around where a jet plane would be.

NIDS: Okay. Jets generally cruise between 27,000 and 35,000 feet. Does that sound...

EW 13: Yeah, you know what? Because from where we are looking at 'em, we looked all the way to our left, we could see the planes coming into Newark airport...

NIDS: Uh-huh.

EW 13: So I know how high they are, and I...you know?

NIDS: And these were higher?

EW 13: Yeah...actually we...we said that. We said, did these planes see anything too? You know, they were all...they were like miles down to the left, but we could see them going into the airport..

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: Now this is above us, right above us when...when we wondered, "Do they see this?"

NIDS: If there had been a plane up there, would it have been at that altitude, or would it have been lower coming in for a landing?

EW 13: Lower.

NIDS: Yes? Okay.

EW 13: A lot lower.

NIDS: Got it.

EW 13: Well, we could see the wheels down and everything.

NIDS: What direction were they going when they first...when you first saw them coming toward...toward you?

EW 13: I don't know what direction I'm...you know what I'm saying? When I'm looking out this club door, I don't know what direction I'm looking at.

NIDS: Oh.

EW 13: But they were just coming straight at us-everybody.

NIDS: Straight, like towards the club door?

EW 13: Straight toward us, yeah.

NIDS: Okay. So, then you...you're uncertain then about which direction north to right...

EW 13: Yeah, I don't know.

NIDS: What angle of observation did you have of them at first?

EW 13: At first?

NIDS: Mm-hmm. How high off the horizon did they seem to you?

EW 13: They were far down...down...[inaudible]...I mean...

NIDS: Okay, we usually-if we to...

EW 13: First I want to say, when we first saw them, we could put-we could look straight almost to the horizon.

NIDS: Uh-huh.

EW 13: I think how close we had to put our necks up so that our necks were at a maybe 45° or 50° angle to see them.

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: And then as they...as the last one came overhead, we were almost close to 90° angle looking almost straight up...

NIDS: Oh, okay.

EW 13: [Inaudible] disappeared.

NIDS: Okay. Okay and then 2 went off to the left first?

EW 13: Right. Well, my...my left looking at them.

NIDS: Looking out the door?

EW 13: Looking out the door to my left, there was 2, and as they got closer, they just like sorta just shot away, "Shoo!", to the...to the...and just disappeared.

NIDS: Did they go up or out to the left or...

EW 13: They...they went like, I'm gonna say up and at an angle. Uh...they had to go up 'cause if they went at first to the horizon we would've seen 'em for awhile. They just went up.

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: Then I'm gonna say maybe 5 seconds later the ones on the right went up and gone.

NIDS: They just...basically the same thing then?

EW 13: Fast, yeah, real fast. Not like a jet-nothing like that, just "Puht!", gone.

NIDS: And the 2, as they split off both times left and right-did they stay together?

EW 13: Um, yeah. I'll tell you, when they broke off, we only saw them...I only saw them for half a second.

NIDS: Uh-huh?

EW 13: They just went, "Puht!" and gone.

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: So I don't know where they went or what...I don't have no idea.

NIDS: Did you ever seen an actual solid craft?

EW 13: No, I...I don't knowl.

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: I think I did.

NIDS: Okay, can you describe that?

EW 13: Well, they all looked the same.

NIDS: Uh-huh?

EW 13: They were just...it was just lights we saw. We didn't see a craft, we saw the lights and you know, they had like an orange around 'em with like a silver rim and I was trying to like focus in until I [inaudible] but they just, you know, they were leaving. They were close to us. Overhead I... I tried to really like see what the hell it was, and just...they left and they left and then the middle ones stayed maybe another 5 seconds and after that just went straight up and gone. We couldn't see it no more.

NIDS: Okay. Did you notice any animal reaction? This is a...[inaudible] too many animals there.

EW 13: Animal what?

NIDS: Animal reaction.

EW 13: No. Animal reaction? No.

NIDS: Okay. Did you ever see any physical traces? Did anything drop off or...

EW 13: No.

NIDS: Alright. How about atmospheric traces-smoke, contrails, vapors...?

EW 13: Mm-mm. Didn't see anything, no.

NIDS: Okay. Were the electronics or lights affected around the restaurant?

EW 13: Mmm, no.

NIDS: Okay. Alright, I think that's about all I have. Is there anything you can think of you'd like to add?

EW 13: I...you know, even at...even at the point where they were like close and we were all craning our necks straight up almost to look at them-they were still real far away.

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: The...the closest thing I could think of the color is if you ever watch the...like the TV shows about the space shuttle coming back into orbit?

NIDS: Uh-huh?

EW 13: It's got like orangy glow around? Like that...that...that's what it reminded me of.

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: That type of color.

NIDS: Oh, okay.

EW 13: It had a silver ring around it and...and the weather was perfect and we had like maybe 10 Coast Guard guys. They're out on the water and everything and they...they all never saw anything like this either.

NIDS: Do you happen to know any of their names?

EW 13: No, but there's somebody- ******* knows somebody came from a college who studies this too.

NIDS: Right.

EW 13: And they supposedly interviewed them.

NIDS: Right, we've been in contact with that fellow too, so we're kind of working together with him.

EW 13: Right.

NIDS: Alright, well, I think that's all I have. I really do appreciate you taking the time to talk to me tonight.

EW 13: Yeah.

NIDS: And...

EW 13: It's something to talk about, you know?

NIDS: I know. Yeah. If there's anything else you can think of, I...I left my number...

EW 13: Okay.

NIDS: ...on your answering machine, but I'm afraid that's what got cut off.

EW 13: Okay, so let me get it.

NIDS: Okay, it's 702...

EW 13: Go 'head...

NIDS: ...798...

EW 13: Go 'head...

NIDS: ...1700.

NIDS: And I'll be for another 2 and ½ hours...

EW 13: Okay.

NIDS: ...and then I'll come in...I'll work the afternoon and evening shift tomorrow, but there...of course there are people here during the day too.

EW 13: Okay.

NIDS: And be sure you...

EW 13: Are you in Las Vegas?

NIDS: Yes.

EW 13: Oh. [Inaudible].

NIDS: If you happen to call tomorrow...

EW 13: Right.

NIDS: ...you should ask for Dr. Kelleher.

EW 13: Okay.

NIDS: And he'll be happy to talk with you and take whatever other information you...you thought of.

EW 13: Okay.

NIDS: Okay.

EW 13: Alright, thanks for calling.

NIDS: Thanks a lot, EW 13.

EW 13: You're welcome.

NIDS: Bye.

[End of interview.]