SIGHTING OF “FLARE”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31154, 2 September 1966, Page 12

SIGHTING OF “FLARE”

No Ships In Trouble

The "flare” seen by many persons along the Otago coast on Wednesday night was probably an aurora, a meteor, or some other natural light, investigators concluded yesterday.

Mr E. G. Brooke, of the Department of Civil Aviation, co-ordinator for the Search and Rescue Organisation in the southern region, said no ships were missing or in trouble, and the Dutch shin Schelde Lloyd which had been in the area at the time had since been sigh+ed apparently in no difficulties. Sightings of the “flare” were reported along a R5-mile length of coast between Taiaroa Head and Nugget Point Mr Brooke said it was seen bv so many persons simultaneously over such a wide area that it would have to have been a “monstrous” flare. Everything pointed to a natural origin.

The light was variously described as red, orange, and green, and some said it was red on the way un and green on the wav down—which no flare would be. said Mr Brooke. If it was some phenomenon happening over the horizon, that would give the impression of going up and then down.

By triangulation the light was estimated to be 25 miles from the beach, but Mr Brooke said estimates of sea distances were notoriously difficult, and it eould have been much further away.