Family terrorised as U.F.O. attacks car

Press, 22 January 1988, Page 1

Family terrorised as U.F.O. attacks car

NZPA-AAP Adelaide A tuna fishing boat was reportedly buzzed by an unidentified flying object in the Great Australian Bight soon after a Perth family was terrorised by a U.F.O. which plucked their car from the road on the Nullarbor Plain early yesterday. The police said yesterday that they were taking the family’s story seriously after investigating damage to the car, which was covered in an ash-like substance. A truck and car driver also saw the bizarre event after being chased by the U.F.O. along the Eyre highway just inside the Western Australia border. Mrs Faye Knowles and her three sons, Patrick, aged 24, Sean, aged 21, and Wayne, aged 18, were about 40km west of Mundrabilla driving towards South Australia when they first saw the glowing object about 2.45

a.m. yesterday. They told the police they watched as it chased the truck and car, which were travelling in the opposite direction, before it turned and landed on their own vehicle. “It apparently picked the car up off the road, shook it quite violently and forced the car back down on the road with such pressure that one of the tyres was blown,” said a police spokesman. “While this was happening the family said their voices were distorted and it was as if they were talking in slow motion.” Mrs Knowles said the U.F.O. turned their car round and placed it back on the road facing in the opposite direction. Once they were back on the tarmac they jumped out and fled into the bush where they hid for some time before going back and

changing the wheel. They drove to Ceduna in the far west of South. Australia and reported the incident to the police. By chance, crime scene investigators from Port Lincoln were in Ceduna and examined the car. “We have to take it seriously, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t,” said Sergeant Fred Longley of the Ceduna police. “There were too many witnesses for us not to. The car was damaged and was covered in ash from the object and they were clearly shaken up.” Sergeant Longley said the Knowles drew a diagram of the U.F.O. which looked like an egg in an egg cup.

Last evening Mrs Knowles and her sons were driving to Adelaide for a meeting with Mr Ray Brooke of the U.F.O. Research Centre, an international organisation which records sightings of

unidentified objects. Sergeant Jim Furnell, of Ceduna, said that shortly after that incident, a tuna-spotting plane reported a U.F.O. hovering over a tuna boat. “The tuna boat crew went on deck to have a look at it and, while they were watching, their voices were distorted just as the people in the car’s voices were distorted,” Sergeant Furnell said. A second tuna boat crew yesterday reported having seen a U.F.O. in the Great Australian Bight — a week before yesterday’s sightings. Both boats had reported a “bright, white light” in the Great Australian Bight between Esperence and Ceduna, but Chief Inspector Barry Willoughby said it could be at least 14 days before Port Lincoln police could question the crews who were still fishing the bight.