Hidden Truth/Hidden Truth.iso/data/ftp-stuff/newstuff4/falcon-lake

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Too Close an Encounter: The Falcon Lake Case

Abstract: Throughout the UFO literature, there are many stories
of alleged physiological effects associated with UFO encounters.
There are several published reviews of these cases, including
Aggen (1969), Crain (1971), Tokarz (1978) and the definitive
summary by McCampbell (1987). In addition, reviews of
close-encounter cases often include details of medical reactions
and effects associated with UFO experiences. The most
well-publicized and investigated physiological-effect case in
recent ufological history was the Cash-Landrum encounter, in
which two women said they were confronted by a diamond-shaped
object and suffered various injuries as a result (Schuessler
1984).

One of the most intriguing cases of serious injury attributed to
a UFO experience is that of Stefan Michalak.* He returned home
from a prospecting expedition with serious ill effects that he
claimed were a result of an extraordinary UFO encounter
(Rutkowski 1981a).

The incident occurred on May 20, 1967, in an area near Falcon
Lake, Manitoba, Canada, approximately 75 kilometers north of the
American border in the rocky edge of the great Canadian Shield.
Falcon Lake is a resort town at the southern boundary of
Whiteshell Provincial Park. The park is largely uninhabited
wilderness, about the same size as the state of Rhode Island. The
Whiteshell is known for various mineral deposits, and several
small mines were established in the surrounding region.  Stefan
Michalak was an amateur geologist and had worked the area many
times. Some prospectors had found several quartz veins nearby
that were associated with silver deposits, and Michalak had even
staked a few claims himself. On May 19, 1967, he traveled from
his home in Winnipeg to Falcon Lake, where he spent the night in
a motel on the Trans-Canada Highway. He had expected to enjoy a
quiet weekend of prospecting.


The Encounter

Stefan Michalak left his motel at 5:30 that morning and headed
north into the bush. By 9:00 a.m., traveling under a bright,
cloudless sky, he had found a quartz vein near a marshy area,
close to a small stream. At 11:00 a.m. he had lunch, then went
back to his examination of the quartz formation. At 12:15 p.m.,
with the sun high and clouds gathering in the west, Michalak was
startled by the cackling of some geese, who were obviously
disturbed by something.  He looked up and was surprised to see
two cigar-shaped objects with "bumps" on them, an estimated
forty-five degrees in altitude, descending and glowing red. As
they approached, they appeared more oval and then disc-shaped.

Suddenly, the further of the pair stopped in midflight, while the
other drew nearer and appeared to land on a large, flat rock
which was later determined to be about 160 feet away. The one in
the air hovered for a short while, then later departed, changing
from red to orange to grey as it flew into the west, where it
disappeared behind the clouds. Focusing his attention to the
object on the ground, Michalak saw that it, too, was turning from
red to grey, until it finally was the color of "hot stainless
steel," surrounded by a golden-hued glow. As he observed the
object, he knelt beside a rock where he had been chipping at the
quartz. He had been wearing welding goggles to protect his eyes
from flying rock fragments. The goggles proved to be very useful,
as brilliant light shone from openings in the object, blinding
him and creating red afterimages in his eyes.

For the next half-hour he stayed near the rock, making a sketch
of the object and noting various features. The craft was
saucer-shaped, about 40 feet in diameter and approximately 10
feet thick. Its upper cupola or dome was an additional three feet
high.  Michalak became aware of waves of warm air radiating from
the craft, accompanied by the "smell of sulphur." He also heard
the whirring of what sounded like a fast electric motor, and a
hissing, as if air were being taken in or expelled.

A door had opened in the side of the craft, revealing some lights
inside. This door was about two by three feet in size. Michalak
approached to within 60 feet of the craft, and heard two
humanlike voices, one with a higher pitch than the other. He was
sure that the craft was an American experimental test vehicle,
and walked closer to it, sarcastically asking, "Okay, Yankee
boys, having trouble? Come on out and we'll see what we can do
about it." Getting no response (the voices had subsided), and
becoming flustered, he asked cautiously in Russian, "Do you speak
Russian?" There was still no answer, so he gave greetings in
German, Italian, French and Ukrainian, then once again in
English.

At this point, his curiosity got the best of him, and he walked
closer to the craft, ending up directly in front of it. Poking
his head into the opening, he saw a maze of lights on what
appeared to be a panel, and beams of light in horizontal and
diagonal patterns. There was also a cluster of lights flashing in
a random sequence "like on a computer."

As Michalak stepped away from the craft, he saw that the wall of
the craft was about 18 inches thick. Suddenly, three panels slid
over the opening, sealing it "like a camera shutter." He examined
the outside of the craft and touched the side of it with his
gloved hand. There were no signs of welding or joints; the
surface was highly polished, and appeared like colored glass with
light reflecting off it, and made "silvery spectra" out of the
sunlight. Drawing his glove back, he saw that it had burned and
melted when it brushed the side of the object.  Unexpectedly, the
craft shifted position, and he was facing a gridlike exhaust vent
which he had seen earlier to his left. This vent was about nine
inches high by six inches wide, and contained a uniform pattern
of round holes, each about 1/16 inch in diameter. A blast of hot
gas shot from these holes onto his chest, setting his shirt and
undershirt on fire and causing him severe pain. He tore off his
burning garments and threw them to the ground. He looked up in
time to see the craft depart like the first, and felt a rush of
air as it ascended.


Aftermath

When the craft had left, Michalak noticed a strong smell of
burning electrical circuits mixed with the original smell of
sulphur. Looking down, he saw that some moss had been set on fire
by his smouldering shirts, and so he stamped it out. He walked
over to where he had left his belongings, and saw that the needle
on his compass was spinning erratically; after a few minutes, it
became still. He went back over to the landing site and
immediately felt nauseous and a surge of pain from a headache.

The landing spot looked as if it had been swept clean (no twigs
or stones). However, piled up in a circle 15 feet in diameter was
a collection of pine needles, dirt and leaves. As he looked
around, his headache became worse, he felt more nauseous and he
broke out in a cold sweat. Feeling very weak and dizzy, he
vomited. He decided to head back to the motel. On the way back,
he vomited several more times and had to stop to regain his
strength.

When he finally reached the highway, he was about a mile from
where he had entered the woods, so he started off down the road
in that direction. He saw an RCMP car coming towards him and
tried to flag it down. It passed by, apparently to turn around,
because a few minutes later, Michalak heard a voice calling
beside him. Michalak told the RCMP officer what had happened.
Michalak says the officer listened but recalls the uncooperative
constable told him: "Sorry, but I have other duties to perform."
Then the officer got in his patrol car and left.

After walking for what seemed to be an eternity, Michalak reached
the motel. Thinking he was somehow contaminated, he did not go in
but instead remained outside in a clump of trees. He tried to get
help at the nearby park headquarters but it was closed. At 4:00
p.m., he finally ventured towards the motel and entered the
coffee shop to inquire whether or not a doctor was available, as
his pain had become considerably worse. He was told that the
nearest doctor was in Kenora, Ontario, 45 miles east of Falcon
Lake. Not wanting to travel even farther from home, Michalak
decided to return to Winnipeg.

Thinking that there might be danger for other park visitors and
that his encounter was certainly newsworthy, he called the news
desk of the Winnipeg Tribune. He had expected them to send
someone to pick him up and take him a doctor, hearing his story
on the way. But as it was a Saturday, the news department was
short-staffed and unwilling to comply with his request,
especially since he wanted assistance "but no publicity." He went
to his room, where he waited until the next bus to Winnipeg
arrived at around 8:45 p.m. He called his wife, telling her that
he had had an accident and not to worry, but to send their son to
meet him at the bus terminal. When he arrived back in Winnipeg
around 10:15 p.m., his son immediately took him to the
Misericordia Hospital.

Throughout the next two years, Michalak was examined by more than
one dozen physicians in the United States and Canada. Site
investigations were made by members of the RCMP, RCAF, government
officials and numerous civilians. The number of government
departments and officials who were involved in this case is
staggering. In the ground party which traveled with Michalak to
the site there were representatives of: the RCAF (Royal Canadian
Air Force) Training Command Headquarters; CFB (Canadian Forces
Base) Winnipeg; RCMP CID (Criminal Investigations Division); the
federal Department of Health and Welfare; and the Manitoba
provincial Department of Health and Welfare. In addition, the
University of Colorado Condon Committee investigated, Life
magazine reporters came to Manitoba and two connected but
separate civilian groups, APRO (Aerial Phenomena Research
Organization) and CAPRO (Canadian APRO), became involved.
Furthermore, the federal Department of Mines and Natural
Resources took an interest, as did the Whiteshell Nuclear
Research Establishment (WNRE), the Manitoba Cancer Institute, the
Mayo Clinic, and a host of other medical establishments.

The scope of this intense investigation cannot be understated.
The Falcon Lake case may well be one of the most intensely
investigated well-documented on record. The case presents a
number of elements of particular interest to researchers:

     1.        Michalak's burns and other physiological effects;
     2.        the ground traces found at the site;
     3.        radioactivity allegedly associated with the site;
and  4.        mysterious metal fragments found at the site.

All of the available data associated with each of these elements
will be examined in turn.

Character of the Witness

At the time of the incident, Stefan Michalak was an employee of
an industrial facility in Winnipeg. He was an industrial
mechanic, with knowledge of automotive machinery, welding, and
metalwork.  With regard to Michalak's mental state, an examining
psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic noted:

"I found no evidence of dreams [or] hallucinations . . . The MMPI
was not extraordinary . . . I can find no overt evidence of
significant mental or emotional illness." [Mayo Clinic 1968: 2]

Michalak had never before reported observing anything like the
UFO he encountered in 1967. During World War II, he had been an
intelligence officer and was very familiar with the appearance
and behavior of military vehicles.

In the RCAF report on the incident, much was made of Michalak's
association with a man named Gerald Hart (RCAF 1967a). Hart was
known to the RCMP as a "subversive" individual, so when Michalak
told them that Hart had assisted him in his quest for the site of
his encounter, officials became suspicious. (Among other
eccentricities, Hart refused to pay income tax and in fact wrote
a popular book on how to avoid paying the government anything.)

Furthermore, the actions of civilian UFO investigators were cause
for concern in the minds of officials. In particular, Barry
Thompson, described by a former CAPRO member as a "liaison
between CAPRO and APRO," was:

". . . a constant companion of Mr. Michalak and he appeared to be
the spokesman for Mr. Michalak during some of the interviews.
Both the investigating officer and Professor Craig [of the Condon
Committee] agreed there appeared to be monetary gain intentions
associated with this relationship." [RCAF 1967a: 4]

However, there was never any "monetary gain" from the incident.
Michalak's own narrative account was privately published in late
1967. His manuscript, written in Polish, was translated and
printed as a 40-page booklet which quickly sold out. But Michalak
saw little of the money recovered after publication costs, and to
this day is bitter that "others have made money from my
experience, but not me" (Michalak 1980). Actually, because of the
small run and limited circulation, it is thought that the
publisher lost money. (In the early 1970s a civilian investigator
of the case wanted to have the manuscript retranslated and the
booklet reprinted, but this never occurred.)

Squadron Leader Paul Bissky of the Royal Canadian Air Force was
the investigating officer on the case. His reports to Canadian
Forces Headquarters are remarkable in their detail and candid
comments about his investigations. But complicating his reports
is the fact that Bissky was a devout skeptic, and told
researchers he "didn't believe in that stuff [UFOs]" (Bissky
1980). How much his personal opinions may have influenced his
reports is not known.

That Bissky thought Michalak was a liar is an understatement. At
one point during his investigation, he bluntly asked Michalak if
he had been drinking on the day of the experience. He believed
that Michalak was hallucinating because of some alcoholic stupor.
Bissky appeared sure that alcohol was somehow involved with the
case, and he cleverly manipulated Michalak into proving he was
not a teetotaler. In his first report, Bissky noted:

"Although the authenticity of Mr. Michalak's report had not been
questioned up to the second search, he had appeared genuinely
sincere and his story was convincing to those who heard it for
the first time, some doubts arose during the last search. . . .
Mr. Michalak had staunchly denied having consumed alcoholic
beverages at any time while at Falcon Lake. Yet a reliable
witness at Falcon Lake advised that he personally had served Mr.
Michalak 4 or 5 bottles of beer the night prior to the trip into
the bush." [RCAF 1967a: 2]

This is an odd note, since the "reliable witness" was obviously a
bartender, and Bissky did not state how his source's own
reliability had been established. Bissky seemed to want to prove
there was at least one inconsistency or lie in Michalak's
testimony, and the issue of alcohol consumption seemed to be a
choice target. (In retrospect, even if Michalak admitted drinking
several beers, there would still remain the problem of the other
physical and physiological evidence; Michalak's drinking probably
had no bearing on the case itself.)

In his later report, Bissky noted several "discrepancies" in
Michalak's story, including this following detailed passage which
gives us some insight into Bissky's RCAF investigation:

". . . it was proven that Mr. Michalak does consume alcoholic
beverages, in fact to some considerable extent. After coming out
from the alleged site, Mr. Michalak was purposely taken to the
same bar where he had consumed the five beers the night prior to
his initial encounter on the 20 May 67. Although he declined the
offer of beer (it could not be determined whether this was done
because he did not like beer or not), he did accept the offer of
several rye "Presbyterians" (rye and half water/ginger ale mix),
in fact he even went so far as to purchase a round of drinks for
the group. He appeared to hold his alcohol reasonably well,
although it was noticed that he did loosen up after the third
drink and become quite gay, telling numerous stories. When
questioned about the vast discrepancy in direction the object
departed, he just shrugged his shoulders and laughed it off. When
last seen, he was in a jovial mood, remaining at the bar,
presumably to await the arrival of his two assistants from
Winnipeg. Hence it is very possible that Mr. Michalak may have
had a private party on his own the night of 19 May, which in turn
could have caused hallucinations the following day." [RCAF 1967b:
4]

Bissky was convinced that Michalak had drunk heavily the night
before his alleged experience, causing him to have imagined the
entire UFO encounter ten to twelve hours later. However, Bissky
described an alternative theory to the author: Michalak had been
drinking and burned himself on a hot barbecue grill. Support for
this new theory came from another of Bissky's unnamed but
"reliable sources," in this case a woman who was awakened by
Michalak pounding on her cabin door at 2:00 a.m. Unfortunately,
Bissky said that the woman was at Falcon Lake for a "tryst" and
could not come forward publicly. It is interesting that this
explanation was never mentioned in any official report, and has
no other evidence to support it. (Bissky 1980) Despite all of his
attempts to find flaws in Michalak's story, Bissky was forced to
concede that:

. . . there are certain facts, such as Mr. Michalak's illness and
burns and the very evident circle remaining at the site, which
are unexplainable. [RCAF 1967b: 5]

Even under the intense scrutiny of biased military investigators,
the case appeared sound. As of the time of this writing (January
1994), Michalak still stands by his original story and insists
that his experience occurred as he described. Physiological


Effects

When asked by the examining doctor how he had been injured,
Michalak said he had been "hit by exhaust coming out of an
aeroplane." In the narrative of his account, Michalak explained
that he had not told the doctor about the UFO because neither he
nor the (Chinese) physician were fluent enough in English to make
the fantastic story understood, and because Michalak was very
tired and wanted to go home. He was given a sedative and went
home, where he took a bath to cleanse his wounds then went to
bed. (Michalak 1967: 23) The next morning, Michalak was still in
some pain and his family noted he had extremely bad body odor and
halitosis. He could not hold any food down, but he was not hungry
anyway. He said that according to the bathroom scale he had lost
six pounds during the previous two days, and he became concerned.

It was not until that evening that his own physician, Dr. R. D.
Oatway, examined Michalak and was told the saucer story. Michalak
noted: "He looked at me with what one may call a professional
discretion" (Michalak 1967: 24).  Oatway's detailed report,
prepared for APRO consultant Dr. Horace Dudley, describes
Michalak's physical condition at that time:

"He complained of band-like headache, hot forehead, anorexia and
nausea, feeling of blacking out. On examination, he appeared
rather depressed, dazed, apathetic, but rational and coherent.
There was singeing of the hair on the forehead at the hairline
and over the lower sternal and upper abdominal region. Over the
upper abdomen, in the mid-portion and especially to the left of
the midline, there were numerous reddish, slightly irregular,
oval-shaped, slightly raised lesions, arranged with their long
axes mainly in a transverse direction. These lesions seemed to be
consistent with a first degree burn. As I recall they were
painful and tender but not severely. I also observed the burnt
undershirt which had holes with charred (or blackened) edges
corresponding to the site of the burn." [Oatway 1968]

Oatway examined the burns and prescribed antinausea tablets and
codeine painkillers. Later, he referred Michalak to a
dermatologist who gave him some antibacterial skin cleanser for
the burns. During the next two weeks, Michalak's condition
improved gradually. He kept a diary of his health during this
time. He noted that his weight decreased from 180 lbs. before his
UFO encounter to a low of 158 lbs. on May 27, one week later.

Unfortunately, since Michalak had not seen his personal physician
for more than one year before his UFO encounter, there was no
official record of his preencounter weight. During this time, he
also experienced several fainting spells, which he had never had
before in his life. He continued to vomit occasionally, but his
appetite slowly returned to normal. As a result of prompting by
civilian UFO investigators, Michalak went to a radiologist on May
23. No evidence of radiation trauma was found.

On May 30, Michalak was taken by a UFO investigator to the
Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, where he was given a
whole-body count. Again, nothing above normal background readings
was found. During the period immediately following his encounter,
Michalak had a slight drop in blood lymphocyte count, from 25% to
16%.

As noted by one investigator, the specific values and
corresponding times were:

     May 24, 1967        16%
     May 30, 1967        21%
     January 15, 1968    31%       [Cannon 1970]

After four weeks, the white-cell count was reportedly back to a
normal level. During this time the platelet counts were
consistently normal. If Michalak had been affected by radiation,
as some have suggested, the counts would have varied more
significantly. Brian Cannon, a founder of CAPRO, reported to that
group's membership that the healing of Michalak's burns was "a
characteristic trait of radiation burns" (Cannon 1968). One
hematologist's report, however, indicated "no abnormal physical
findings," although Michalak had "some atypical lymphoid cells in
the marrow plus a moderate increase in the number of plasma
cells" (Oatway 1968). These minor variations do not support some
published accounts that claim Michalak had impurities in his
blood (Naud 1978).

But Dr. Horace Dudley, a radiologist and APRO advisor at the
University of Southern Mississippi, observed that Michalak's:

. . . nausea and vomiting followed by diarrhea and loss of weight
is a classical picture of severe whole body [exposure to]
radiation with x- or gamma rays. I would guess that Mr. Michalak
received on the order of 100-200 roentgens. It is very fortunate
that this dose of radiation only lasted a very short time or he
would certainly have received a lethal dose. [Lorenzen and
Lorenzen 1968: 40-41]

Others did not believe that symptoms of radiation poisoning were
present, and the issue has never been fully resolved (Michalak
1967: 27-28; Rutkowski 1981b). Michalak's skin problems also had
different interpretations. His upper chest, having been diagnosed
as thermally burned, healed fairly rapidly. His abdomen, where
the grid pattern appeared, went through periods of fading and
recurrence. It had been suggested that these welts were radiation
burns.

Michalak also had a rash which broke out on his upper torso. One
investigator said this was due to insect bites, and this is
supported by the fact that investigators were indeed bitten by
large numbers of black flies at the site. However, it does appear
that Michalak had more than just a simple patch of bites. Medical
records noted he had skin infections that were "hive-like areas
with impetiginous centers" (Oatway 1968). In another report, he
had "generalized urticaria" (Oatway 1967). Along with the
recurrence of the rash and urticaria, Michalak reported feeling
weak, dizzy and nauseous, and he experienced numbness and
swelling in his joints (Michalak 1967: 35-36).

It is possible that Michalak had an allergic reaction to
something in the environment. On September 21, 1967, four months
after his UFO experience, Michalak was at work when he became
very ill. He felt a burning sensation on his chest and neck, his
throat constricted and he became very flushed ("turned violet").
His hands swelled "like a balloon," he became dizzy, then fainted
(Michalak 1967: 35). Upon examination, doctors concluded that
Michalak had had an allergic reaction of some sort. However,
considering that he had never had such reactions before his
encounter, one might wonder what had triggered the episodes.

Michalak gradually recovered from his injuries and stopped having
his recurring allergic reactions. To this day, however, the
strange array of burn scars can still be felt underneath the skin
of his lower abdomen.


The Mayo Clinic

In August 1968, Michalak went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota. The purpose of his visit was to undergo tests in order
to determine exactly what was ailing him, since the doctors in
Winnipeg appeared to be unhelpful. It is worthy to note that
Michalak paid for the Mayo tests entirely on his own, as Canadian
medical insurance would not cover such a trip.  He traveled south
and stayed for two weeks at a motel near the hospital, walking
across each day and entering as an outpatient. He reported that
he was given a thorough physical and psychological examination by
various doctors, then sent home.

Michalak waited for several weeks, but received no word on his
results. He complained to his own doctor and told CAPRO
representatives of the lack of results. CAPRO investigators
appealed to APRO for help. Eventually, ufologist John Keel
intervened and as a result, Dr. Berthold Schwarz, a psychiatrist
and ufologist, assisted by sending a letter of inquiry to the
Mayo Clinic, asking about the medical reports. In reply, he was
sent what has been referred to as the "letter of denial." Dated
(perhaps significantly) April 1, 1969, the letter bluntly stated:

"I have checked through our registration desk and I find that we
have never had a patient by that name registered at the Mayo
Clinic. If he had been a patient I suspect that I would not have
been able to send you information without a release from him,
state laws being what they are, but I can tell you we don't know
anything about him." [Barry 1969]

This immediately spurred shouts of "cover-up!" from some
individuals who learned of the letter, and rightly so, as this
appeared to be a deliberate attempt to mislead the investigation.
However, Schwarz tried again, with a different tactic; he asked
Michalak to sign a simple medical records release form and
forwarded that to the Mayo Clinic in January 1970. The reports
came immediately.

Michalak had been found to be in good health but with
neurodermatitis and simple syncope (fainting spells due to sudden
cerebral blood pressure losses). The syncope was suggested as
having to do with hyperventilation or impaired cardiac output
(Rovelstad 1970). This is interesting, as Michalak has indeed had
heart problems during the past decade. Furthermore, the Mayo
Clinic report described Michalak's physiological problems in more
detail:

"Since May, 1967, he has had repeated clearing-up and
recrudescence of the erythematous and pruritic lesions on his
chest and legs. Sometimes these occurred at intervals of
approximately 112 days, but this has not been consistent. Since
January, 1968, reoccurrences have been more frequent but the
symptoms were briefer in duration. Generally, the chest lesions
appear as minute points or "grains," enlarge progressively to the
size of a quarter or a half dollar, and are very pruritic . . .
The time between initial appearance and disappearance has ranged
from a few days to several weeks. Various medications have not
been helpful." [Mayo Clinic 1968: 1]

His condition was viewed as being quite serious, especially given
the following information:

"Mr. Mechallack's [sic] main reason for coming to the Mayo Clinic
now is because of headaches and "blackout spells" which have
attended the other symptoms since he was severely ill in January,
1968. Headaches are mainly bitemporal, steady, and excruciating.
Skin problems occur at the same time. Blackout spells are not
sudden but cannot be predicted accurately enough to permit him to
drive during symptomatic periods (he is fearful of hurting
himself and/or others). Gradually, his eyesight begins to dim
until everything goes black. He has time to sit down but is . . .
unconscious for a few minutes or more. Allegedly, his wife has
viewed him during these spells and he recounts no symptoms
suggestive of seizures. He declares that he is unable to hear
during the spells." [Mayo Clinic 1968: 1]


Radiation

On June 30, 1967, Michalak traveled to Falcon Lake with Gerald
Hart. Hart had offered to help in the search, and told Michalak
he visited the area frequently on his own. Michalak took him up
on his offer.

"He not only took me there but helped me in the search. I looked
throughout the woods checking rocks I had seen before, examining
chips I had made in the stone and finally, after six hours, we
came upon the spot." [Michalak 1967: 31]

They found a ring of debris, thought to have been made when the
object lifted off. In addition, they found bits of Michalak's
shirt and his tape measure which he had left behind. When they
returned to Winnipeg, they informed the RCAF of their findings.

On July 2, RCMP, RCAF and CAPRO investigators accompanied
Michalak to the site, gathering samples and taking photographs.
The RCMP analyses of the samples showed significantly high
radiation readings. On their recommendation, consideration was
given to cordoning off the area due to a possible health hazard.

This was noted in an Incident Report from an inspector with the
RCMP Crime Laboratory in Ottawa, the result of tests on some
samples sent by the RCMP to the Department of National Health and
Welfare. They found:

. . . a radiation value of .3 microcuries in the soil sample . .
. the radiation is from a radium source and is a possible serious
health hazard. [RCMP 1967]

Samples taken from the site by Michalak and Hart were eventually
tested by the Radiation Protection Division of the Canadian
Department of National Health and Welfare. They examined samples
of "soil, burned shirt and steel tape for possible radioactive
contamination." The initial gamma analysis showed significant
levels of "Ra 226 or its equivalent."

In a report prepared by Stewart Hunt for A. K. DasGupta, the head
of the Safety Assessment and Control Section of the Division,
details of the radioactivity assessment were described. Hunt
outlined very clearly and cautiously the reasons his Division was
involved:

"The task of assessing the radiation hazard to the general public
and the landing site did not initially indicate that it would be
necessary for the Division to involve itself in the RCMP and DND
investigation. However, it became obvious . . . that collection
and coordination of all background information was essential due
to the following:   a.   The apparent lack of cooperation by the
principals toward the military and police.   b.   The exact
location of the sighting had not been established at the time of
the Division's initial involvement." [Hunt 1967: 1]

Hunt flew to Winnipeg and met with various other officials on
July 26, 1967. They had a brainstorming session, during which
they arrived at a complicated plan of action that included a
thorough investigation of the site, analyses of the physical
effects and a detailed background check not only of the principal
witness but also of the civilian investigators. As part of their
investigation, the team traveled to East Braintree, Manitoba,
near the Whiteshell, where hazardous waste from the Manitoba
Cancer Institute was buried. The reason for this was the
suggestion that someone had "seeded" the landing site with
commercially produced radium. If it had not come from a radium
watch dial, they reasoned that it must have come from a nuclear
waste disposal site. Again, the seriousness with which the case
was regarded is evident. Tampering with a nuclear waste disposal
site is a very grave matter. No indication of tampering was
found, however.

The team also visited Michalak's place of employment to see if it
used radium in any of its products.  They then visited Michalak
at his home to check for radiation in the samples he had in his
basement. Hunt noted:

"A survey of the basement showed no evidence of any loose
contamination. Radiation fields were detectable coming from the
plastic bags containing soil and the remnants of Michalak's
burned shirt . . .  Mr. Michalak has no respect for contaminated
materials. He handled the contaminated soil with his bare hands,
and was made to wash his hands with great difficulty." [Hunt
1967: 2]

Hunt was both horrified and suspicious. How could an amateur
geologist and trained engineer not be concerned by radioactive
debris? Hunt's visit was what helped convince Michalak to visit
the site with Bissky and the others. Hunt went along to verify
that radioactivity was present. He found that:

"One small area was found to be contaminated. This was located
across the crown of the rock. There was a smear of contamination
about 0.5 ' 8.0 inches on one side of the crack. There was also
some lichen and ground vegetation contaminated just beyond the
smear. The whole contaminated area was no larger than 100 square
inches. All water run off areas were checked for possible
contamination, but nothing was found." [Hunt 1967: 2]

After examining the site, he felt there was "no serious health
hazard involved." The fact that only a small area was radioactive
conflicted with the fact that Michalak's steel tape measure was
radioactive, yet it was found "40 paces" from the site. The
explanation offered for this was that everything taken from the
site had been left together in a pile in Michalak's basement, so
that unaffected items could have become contaminated after the
fact.

In an undated Department of National Defence Minute Sheet, an
official in the office of the Chief of Defence Staff in Ottawa
noted:

"There is some doubt that the soil samples did in fact contain
"226" or pure radium. This question of doubt is a scientific
evaluation beyond this investigation. The quantity of "226,"
namely 0.5, is equal to approximately !/3 of that associated with
an average wrist watch. However, the quantity, although
pertinent, does not explain how this "smear" got on the rock at
the alleged landing site. This is what is bothering the
scientific people." [Canadian Department of National Defence
1967?]

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the "radium seeding"
scenario was Hunt's visit to the provincial Environmental
Sanitation Laboratory in Winnipeg:

"Samples from [the] UFO site and those taken from Michalak's
residence were checked under a UV light. . . . The samples taken
from the UFO site gave an indication that they were contaminated
with Radium luminous paint. The samples from Michalak's house did
not respond to the UV light." [Hunt 1967: 3]

This was puzzling. If Michalak or Hart had seeded the radium,
then they would surely have had some luminous paint in their own
radioactive samples. Yet this was present only in the later
samples.

Further confusing details were found when Hunt visited the home
of Barry Thompson, the APRO investigator. Hunt checked some soil
and vegetation samples Thompson had in his possession. Thompson
had been given the samples by Michalak when he accompanied him
during a separate visit to the site on July 17, 1967. Hunt noted
that one sample:

. . . proved to be radioactive. Levels up to 1mR/hr were detected
. . . The sample was sealed in a plastic bag. A contamination
check was made of the area where the samples were, using the UV
light. The area was extremely cluttered with photographic
equipment and a great deal of junk. Several areas responded to
the UV light, but these did not prove to be areas of
contamination, probably photographic emulsion splashes. Thompson
appears to be a very sloppy worker. [Hunt 1967: 5]

This raises the possibility that "emulsion splashes" were also
the cause of the luminosity found in the RCAF samples from the
landing site. Hunt learned that Thompson had given some samples
to George Dyck, a technician at the Nuclear Medicine Department
of the Winnipeg General Hospital. On his own time, Dyck had
tested the samples using his department's standard laboratory
equipment. One sample was said to have shown a "1.4 MeV peak" and
two other weaker peaks. Hunt visited Dyck and was introduced to
nuclear medicine specialist Dr. F. Helmuth, who had examined
Michalak's burns when he had been brought in following his other
medical tests. Hunt also interviewed other nuclear medicine
specialists at the hospital. Dr. R. Walton, executive director of
the Manitoba Cancer Clinic, was apparently embarrassed to have
his organization involved in such tests because "they weren't
particularly interested in becoming involved in work of this
nature." The stigma of UFO investigation was too much for the
medical establishment.


The Metal

Between July 1967 and May 1968, the landing site was visited by a
variety of individuals. One of these was Mr. E. J. Epp, who
searched the area for radioactivity as part of a check by the
provincial Department of Mines and Natural Resources. They were
concerned that Michalak had misdirected the earlier searchers to
protect his claims. However, not only did Epp not find any
radioactivity, but Michalak didn't file any claims until the fall
of 1967.

The lack of radioactivity at the time is important, because on
May 19, 1968, Michalak again visited the site with a friend. In
his report to the Condon Committee, Roy Craig said Michalak
found:

. . . massive pieces of radioactive material in a fissure of the
rock within the "landing circle." This . . . consisted of two
W-shaped bars of metal, each about 4.5 in. long, and several
smaller pieces of irregular shape. These items were said to have
been found about 2 in. below a layer of lichen in the rock
fissure. . . . the two fragments each consisted of a central
massive metal portion which was not radioactive. One of these was
93% and the other 96% silver. Both contained copper and cadmium,
and had a composition similar to that found in commercially
available sterling silver or sheet silver. The metal was coated
with a tightly-adhering layer of quartz sand, similar to that
used as a foundry sand. This also was not radioactive. The
radioactivity was contained in a loosely-adhering layer of
fine-grained minerals containing uranium. This layer could be
removed readily by washing and brushing. The minerals were
uranophane and thorium-free pitchblende, characteristically found
in vein deposits. [Condon 1969: 323]

In his own teletype to headquarters, Bissky said that when he
examined the metal pieces at Michalak's home:

"All shown objects were subjected to civilian Geiger counter and
majority of readings at same level as that of the dial face of a
service wrist watch in same counter." [Bissky 1968]

Again, there was speculation that radium was implicated in the
radioactivity of the metal. It is ironic that it came from
Bissky's own watch. Bissky also observed that:

"Larger objects appeared to have been cast for a specific design
and Mr. M. indicated he had considerably more in his possession
but would not allow viewing or indicate the exact numbers
although he did allow that some were in a reverse "S" design."

He then:

"... attempted knicking one of the larger pieces with a knife and
found metal very resistant to knife although there was no normal
metallic ring when struck by another metallic object or against a
stone." [Bissky 1968]

This last observation is curious, since a four-inch chunk of
dense metal would not necessarily ring when struck. Bissky's
concern that the matter still was very suspicious was obvious as
he concluded:

. . . should it be found metal is of unusual raw material, feel
that NRC should be brought into picture for expert investigation.
It may be that metals are normal large deposits of silver or
other composite materials found in this area. "

And, most importantly:

. . . it is interesting that items have been located at exact
point of alleged landing of UFO. Should this be a hoax, someone
is going to considerable effort to perpetrate same. [Bissky 1968]

An understatement, indeed!

A number of institutions performed analyses on the metal pieces.
Biospace Associates apparently had some samples tested through
Colorado State University. They noted that:

"This particular UFOloy is made of silver, with no metallic
impurities detectable by the x-ray fluorescence analysis."
[Kachur 1968]

In a note from the UFO Research Institute, located in Pittsburgh,
Dr. J. Roesner reported that:

"The gamma spectra were complex; 15 distinct energies ranging
from 0.11 MeV to 2.57 MeV could be resolved. The three major
contributors to the total gamma radioactivity had energies of
0.61 MeV, 1.10 MeV and 1.53 MeV and decayed with half-lives of
~14 days, 8 days and 21 days, respectively. . . . A
semiquantitative chemical analysis ... showed that 95 percent of
the specimen is silver. The amount of copper in the specimen was
determined to be 0.5 percent. . . . The energies and half-lives
of the gamma rays emitted by the specimen do not agree with the
expected decay of silver activation products formed in an (n, g)
reaction on natural silver." [Weitzel 1968]

In his report to the Condon Committee, Craig quoted the
conclusion of R. J. Traill, head of the mineralogy branch of the
National Research Council of Canada, who reviewed the WNRE
findings:

"I would interpret the specimen as pieces of thin sheet silver
that have been twisted, crumpled, partly melted and dropped into
or otherwise placed in contact with nearly pure quartz sand while
still hot. They have subsequently been covered with loosely
adhering radioactive material which consists of crushed
pitchblende ore, much altered to uranophane and containing
associated hematite." [Traill 1968: 2]

Craig further noted:

"In view of the thoroughness of earlier searches of the site for
radioactive material, it is improbable that the particles
discovered a year later would have been missed had they been
present when the earlier searches were made." [Condon 1969: 323]

However, CAPRO insisted otherwise:

"The fact is that there is overwhelming evidence that the metal
was there, at least since July 1967. When the metal was located,
and since it was taken from the middle of the rock, we examined
the soil samples removed from the sight [sic] in July 1967. These
samples also contained tiny fragments of the same metal and no
doubt the samples taken by the authorities contain pieces as
well." [CAPRO 1969: 6]

Brian Cannon, a civilian investigator for CAPRO, was rightly
concerned that the metal samples seemed to undermine the
credibility of the case. It looked as if the metal bars were
unrelated to Michalak's experience. To check this, CAPRO had the
metal bars tested for the presence of radium. According to their
report:

"Analyses confirmed the presence of Radium 226, the same source
as was found in the soil specimens. The luminous watch dial paint
theory dulled considerably." [Cannon 1969c]

This latter point is particularly disturbing. Could experienced
nuclear technicians have made such a mistake? The matter becomes
more curious when one considers the results of reanalyses by the
Ufology Research of Manitoba (UFOROM) during 1977 to 1983. Soil
samples allegedly from the Falcon Lake site were provided by a
former CAPRO representative and tested for UFOROM at the
University of Manitoba. The samples showed natural uranium
activity but no radium signatures. This suggested that earlier
indications of the presence of radium were in error.

In an internal Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment
memorandum, lab analyst J.D. Chen reported on the analyses of
"chared [sic] fabric," native silver, mineral fragments, twig
fragments and jack pine needles. He wrote that:

"The gamma spectra showed an abnormally large 190 KeV photopeak
which was thought to be due to enrichment of U 235. However,
chemical extraction for uranium of the 100 mesh sample and
subsequent mass spectrometric analysis indicated the samples
containing uranium were of natural U 235 content. Experiments are
being continued to identify the cause of the large 190 KeV
photopeak." [Chen 1968]

A further analysis of a soil sample was done in 1994 by UFOROM
associate Greg Kennedy of Montreal. Gamma-ray spectroscopy found
four radionuclides: U235, Pb214, Bi214 and Cs137. The cesium was
probably due to fallout from nuclear weapons tests. Again, no
enriched uranium was found, and no metal particles.

The soil was simply naturally high in uranium, a typical finding
in the Whiteshell region. The original soil samples retrieved
from the site contained only natural radioactivity. However,
radium 226 was detected by some investigators. It is not clear
whether or not this was an error. The metal samples, on the other
hand, are definitely mysterious and do not appear natural. To
solve the puzzle, it would be most useful to obtain a small metal
sample for reanalysis.


Site Investigation

The most scientific report on the case was published by the
infamous Condon Committee. Dr. Roy Craig and Mary Lou Armstrong
of the University of Colorado both visited Michalak in June 1967.
Accompanying them was John Fried of Life magazine, which wanted
to do a feature on the incident. Unfortunately, when Michalak
tried to lead them to the site on June 4th, he was unsuccessful.

As he explained:

"Nature changes quickly at that time of the year and the forest
was very much different . . . than it had been when I was there
before. . . . The same thing happened later when the members of
the RCAF . . . and the RCMP went with me to search for the spot.
We even used a helicopter, but it was no use. It seemed as if the
place had disappeared from the face of the earth." [Michalak
1967: 29-30]

Michalak noted that the investigators were "disenchanted" with
his inability to find the site. Who could blame them? Their first
visit was only two weeks after the incident, and already the
story had a serious flaw. (It is probably because of this that
the case was not regarded very highly by the Condon Committee and
the USAF. Indeed, if Life magazine had found the site, the story
would have attracted much more attention and might have been more
carefully documented.)

Access to Information requests by several ufologists (including
this writer) have uncovered documents which provide more insight
into the incident but also raise many more questions. In some
cases, there are outright contradictions between civilian and
government or military records of the investigations. The
official RCAF report is undated but is thought to have been
submitted in mid-June 1967 by Squadron Leader Paul Bissky.

Bissky noted he first led a search party to Falcon Lake on May
25, but could not find the site. On May 30, he visited Michalak
to see if he felt well enough to accompany an investigation team.
Michalak declined, but he drew a sketch of the area, described
the site in detail and identified the likely area on an aerial
photograph. On May 31, four RCMP, two RCAF and one other set of
investigators in an H112 helicopter searched for the site, with
no success. In his report, Bissky wrote:

"The RCMP returned to Winnipeg that evening and persuaded Mr.
Michalak to accompany them to Falcon Lake the next day. Thinking
he may be able to quickly locate the site from the air, Mr.
Michalak was taken over the area by helicopter but he found no
recognizable features. He stated he could probably do better on
the ground. The search then proceeded with him leading the ground
party, with the helicopter monitoring the proceedings from the
air. With the aid of RCMP portable radios, an air/ground link was
possible and this greatly assisted in directing the ground party
to the most likely-looking areas as described by Mr. Michalak.
Following a frustrating afternoon and evening search . . . Mr.
Michalak insisted the ground party had been very very close to
the sought-after location as he recognized several physical
features and areas where he had chipped rocks during his last
prospecting visit." [RCAF 1967a: 2]

It should be remembered that this was a joint investigation by
military and police officers, armed with sophisticated rescue and
detection equipment. Their search on June 2 was also
unsuccessful. The RCAF team did not return to the area until July
28, when they had convinced Michalak to lead them to the site
that he and Gerald Hart had found on June 25. In his supplemental
report, dated September 1, 1967, Bissky wrote:

"Following an informal report from the RCMP to the effect that
the samples submitted to CFHQ for analysis had proven to contain
considerable radioactivity, and that a representative from the
Dept. of National Health and Welfare was being sent out to
investigate further, contact was made with all those concerned
and a decision was made to    a.   Interegate [sic] Mr. Michalak
again with the view to ascertaining the possibilities of his home
and himself being contaminated by the materials which he brought
out as samples; and      b.   Investigate the alleged landing
site of the object, since Mr. Michalak had now been to the sight
[sic] twice since his initial encounter. [Author's note: with
Hart and Thompson] Although Mr. Michalak had previously been most
uncooperative regarding taking either the military or RCMP into
the site, once the possible gravity and implications were made
clear to him, he volunteered to lead a party into the area."
[RCAF 1967b: 2]

In other words, it was Bissky's opinion that Michalak did not
want to take the officials to the site until they convinced him
that radioactive contamination was a serious possibility.
Michalak's distrust of officials and hesitancy was noted in
Bissky's earlier report as well:

"When asked to provide the location of the site, Mr. Michalak
objected very strongly on the basis that during his 25 June hunt
he had in fact located what he had searched for originally and
until such time as he could stake his claim, he had no intention
of having anyone go near this area. It was pointed out to him
that there was no intention of jumping his claim and that it was
in the interest of the Canadian Public that he show the site to
S/L Bissky. Mr. Michalak stated that no matter what anyone
thought of him, he would not cooperate until his claim was filed.
It turns out, however, that he now has to share his claim with
his new-found partner, Mr. Hart, whom he had never met before.
This was particularly surprising since he was very noticeably
suspicious of the RCMP during the visit, so much so that he did
not invite the RCMP into the basement to examine some [of] the
latest samples brought back from the latest "hot find." [RCAF
1967a: Addendum]

However, when they finally did convince Michalak to lead them to
the site on July 28, they were baffled by its appearance and
location.

"Mr. Michalak successfully led the party to the sight [sic], in
approximately 45 minutes going through considerable heavy bush,
brush and undergrowth. The site was within 50 yards from where
the ground party had searched on 1 June 67, but was not visible
at that time because of the heavy bush located between the two
areas." [RCAF 1967b: 2]

In other words, there was a reasonable explanation why the site
had not been found by earlier searchers. This seemed to quell
some doubts based solely on the inability to locate the site.
They found:

. . . the outline of an approximate 15 foot diameter circle on
the rock surface where the moss and earth covering has been
cleared to the rock surface by a force such as made by air at
very high velocity. [RCAF 1967b: 2]

The investigators took samples of the dirt, rock and vegetation
and also examined trees within a few yards of the circle. This
latter point was because there was some concern that the alleged
size of the UFO (35 to 40 feet in diameter) would infringe upon
several trees and saplings. There was no indication of burns or
other "disturbances." This in itself was curious, since Michalak
said he brushed against the craft, burning his glove. It seems
logical that, at the very least, some leaves or limbs would have
been seared or broken.

Considering the size of the alleged object (35-40 ft across), it
is highly unlikely that it could have made a descent into and
ascent from the area searched without having made contact with
some of the surrounding trees. Even if it was not completely
heated on the surface, there should have been some evidence of
having brushed a tree or some bark removed. Yet there was no
indication at all. [RCAF 1967b: 3]

One possible explanation is that the burned leaves fell and
decayed during the two months since the event. None of the
investigators were plant pathologists, so some evidence might
have escaped them. However, some investigators (and Michalak)
insist that some trees were damaged and the evidence ignored.
This is borne out by the following description of the site in the
CAPRO Bulletin:

"The clearing consists of three main outcroppings of rock covered
with the usual covering of lichens and moss. One of these
outcroppings, the one over which the object hovered, was pitted
extensively and had slight radioactivity . . . The lichen and
moss that covered the other rocks in the group was blown clear
and was heaped in a ring around the edges of the rock over which
the object was said to have hovered. A small tree which was
growing through a crack in the rock had been bent and broken at
the base and now lay on its side. The leaves of this tree
discoloured in the following manner: on each leaf there was a
round circle of brown within which was an area of red in the
centre of which there was a hole. This sample was confiscated by
the investigator sent by the National Research Council." [Cannon
1968: 4]

As this tree was not mentioned in the official report, this issue
has not yet been resolved. But Craig had noted that there were no
signs of any disturbances on the trees or other flora. When
Michalak visited the site again in the fall of 1967, he found
ample evidence that something had occurred there:

"On September 30th I returned to the place where the craft had
landed_to see if there were any other changes. I could not
believe what I saw. The leaves in the area looked as if they had
been sprayed with some killing chemical. All were withered and
dead. No vegetation grew within a 50 foot radius of the landing
site. The area where the craft had touched down was still
visible." [Michalak 1967: 36]

If someone had tried to make the site look "good," the
embellishment of a circle of affected vegetation would certainly
have been an excellent idea. What didn't escape the investigators
was the complete absence of physical evidence besides the ring of
debris:

. . . the complete removal of all evidence from the site makes it
highly suspect that it was never there. One would have thought
that some shreds or burned shreds or burned shirt particles would
have remained, even after the two months elapsed time. [RCAF
1967b: 4]

Hart and Michalak appeared to have taken confirmatory evidence
that might have bolstered the credibility of the story. However,
had "burned shirt particles" been found, they would likely have
been thought to be suspicious as well, perhaps planted by someone
to support the case. One can ask whether or not any evidence
would have been considered bonafide, given Bissky's personal
conviction that the case was a hoax.


Government Interest

The Canadian government seemed to refuse access to information
about the Falcon Lake incident when a question was raised in the
House of Commons in 1967. On June 29, 1967, it was reported that
a member of parliament, Edward Schreyer, asked about UFO
investigations, specifically with regard to the Michalak case.
The Speaker of the House immediately "cut off the subject without
government reply." On November 6, 1967, Defence Minister Leo
Cadieux stated:

. . . it is not the intention of the Department of National
Defence to make public the report of the alleged sighting. [House
of Commons 1967]

This was in response to requests by several cabinet members to
obtain information on the incident. On November 11, 1967,
Schreyer formally placed a written question on the Commons order
paper seeking information on UFOs. However, the question did not
solicit a useful response. On October 14, 1968, House Leader
Donald MacDonald again refused an MP, this time Barry Mather,
access to reports on the Michalak case. However, on February 6,
1969, Mather was given permission by a member of the Privy
Council to examine their file on UFOs "from which a few pages
have simply been removed." It was reported that outright release
of the file "would not be in the public interest," and could
create a dangerous precedent that would not "contribute to the
good administration of the country's business." (House of Commons
1969).

Bondarchuk (1979) reported that "portions of the complete
government report are available for public scrutiny" at the
National Research Council in Ottawa. However, "noticeably missing
are the RCMP study of the burned items, as well as the
government's final conclusion, if indeed one exists."


Possible Corroborative Reports

When Michalak's experience was covered by the local media, many
people reported their own UFO sightings from around the same time
and area. On May 19, 1967, residents of Lockport, near Winnipeg,
reported a UFO with a "glowing ring of heat" moving at
"indescribable speed." On May 21 three people watched a "round
reddish glowing object at treetop level" from their cottage at
Eleanor Lake in the Whiteshell. They reported it to the RCMP on
May 23, after Michalak's story was published. Two men watched a
"large, cigar-shaped object travel across the horizon at a
tremendous speed" on May 25. That same night, a large, orange,
egg-shaped object was seen near Souris, and two other witnesses
saw "two very brilliant stars in close proximity to each other"
over Winnipeg. (All cases in UFOROM files.)

In 1978, a man contacted UFOROM with information about his
encounter at West Hawk Lake one night in May 1967. Although he
could not recall the exact date, he claimed it had occurred "the
same time as Michalak." He and a companion were walking from West
Hawk Lake to Caddy Lake along a highway. They had walked three of
the four miles to their destination when his companion stopped to
tie his shoelace. The man, looking straight ahead, was startled
to see a large, disc-shaped object glide silently into view above
the trees and move across the highway. It flew over the trees on
the other side of the highway and was lost to sight. Needless to
say, the man's companion did not look up in time to see the
object. The man's detailed sketch of the object had some
resemblance to the Michalak's drawings, with some discrepancies.

In July 1992, a woman called UFOROM with information that she and
her daughter had observed a UFO as they were traveling home from
Falcon Lake along the Trans-Canada Highway the same weekend as
the Michalak case. Around 4:00 p.m., they had left their cottage
at Star Lake and were heading west when they saw a "perfect
flying saucer" over the trees on the north side of the road. It
was hat-shaped, with windows on its upper surface which were
giving off "pinkish-mauve" light. The rest of the object was
silver, and it appeared to be spinning counterclockwise. Her
daughter sketched the object, and as they watched, it
"disappeared into thin air." Independent sketches of the object
by both witnesses agree in detail and seem to show a craft
similar to that encountered by Michalak.


Unsolved Mysteries

In 1989, a producer of the NBC program Unsolved Mysteries
contacted the Michalaks and other individuals (including the
author) for information relating to the Falcon Lake case. In June
1992, Mr. and Mrs. Michalak, their son Stan and the author were
flown by NBC to a remote set in South Dakota for a re-creation of
Michalak's UFO encounter. The segment aired on November 4, 1992.

On the air date, 22 calls were received by UFOROM and 20 were
received by the NBC operators in California. None of the local
calls provided any information directly relating to the Falcon
Lake case, but seven callers reported their own UFO experiences.
One caller reported seeing a bright orange light over Winnipeg
"the same night as Michalak did."  The next day, November 5,
1992, the author was interviewed on a radio talk show devoted to
the case. Only one caller provided any relevant information. This
woman claimed that she was a former employee at the Whiteshell
Nuclear Research Establishment at the time of the incident. She
said that her supervisors candidly noted that the Falcon Lake
site was "very radioactive."  The Unsolved Mysteries segment was
rerun on March 17, 1993, with similar results. No new solid leads
were received.


Conclusions

In the report of the United States government-sponsored UFO
project, Michalak's experience was described as "unknown,"
meaning there was no explanation. Their concluding remarks were
impressive:

. . . if [Michalak's UFO encounter] were physically real, it
would show the existence of alien flying vehicles in our
environment. [Condon 1969: 323]

What really happened at Falcon Lake? There is no question that
some level of radiation was found at the site where Michalak said
he had his experience. As well, he did exhibit some very unusual
ailments, including reported weight loss, peculiar burn marks on
his chest and stomach, charred hair, an odd rash and recurrent
dizziness.

Some UFO investigators have said he had met alien beings; some
say he stumbled upon a secret government or military craft.
Skeptics have proposed the only other explanation that would
explain many of the facts: a hoax. The only published comment by
a skeptic about the incident was that by Donald Menzel and Ernest
Taves, who dismissed the case by noting:

First, the project investigator and the prospector together were
unable to locate the area of the happening. Second, the "illness"
appeared to have been caused by nothing more exotic than insect
bites. And third, the project's attempts to establish the reality
event revealed "many inconsistencies and incongruities . . .
[Therefore] we regard the case as a badly executed hoax. [Menzel
and Taves 1977: 104]

Since the RCAF conceded that the site was difficult to find and
since Michalak's illness was substantially more than insect
bites, this dismissal appears somewhat abrupt. And, while there
are certainly many incongruities in the case, these tend to
heighten the mystery and not force dismissal by themselves. Even
if the case was a hoax, it is not clear as to who might have been
responsible, what was the motive, or the gain. In fact, even
Bissky conceded the hoax was of a high caliber.

If it was a hoax, its execution was quite elaborate, as it fooled
several different levels of investigation, and there are still
many unanswered questions today. If the incident is a hoax, there
are several possibilities for the identity of the perpetrator. If
Stefan Michalak alone was the hoaxer, he would have needed many
resources in addition to the stamina to stick to his story under
intense questioning for more than 25 years.

The silver pieces found at the site are definitely suspicious.
The hoaxer would have needed to have visited the site at least
once prior to the placement of the items in order to locate a
suitable position to hide them. The hoaxer would also have had to
have had access to pitchblende ore and a way to cast the silver
bars in order to give the appearance of "found" objects. (For its
re-creation of the incident, Unsolved Mysteries used an amalgam
of solder and other materials to make convincing replicas of the
metal pieces.) In addition, the hoaxer would have known that
someone with a Geiger counter would return to the site so that
the items could be discovered. Since the metal bars were not
discovered after a thorough search of the area by the official
investigators in 1967, the hoaxer had several months to prepare
the site for discovery by Michalak in 1968. During this period,
dozens of persons likely had access to the site.

Other inconsistencies make the story problematic. It is
interesting that the location of the encounter was within view of
a forest ranger tower. Craig reports that the forest ranger on
duty at the time of the incident did not observe either the
landing or flight of the UFOs, or the smoke which resulted from
the ignition of vegetation. This would seem to flaw Michalak's
story effectively, although the individual in the tower might not
have been looking in the direction of the site constantly. But
since the object was landed for at least 45 minutes, and if it
gleamed in the sun or emitted an "intense purple light" (as it
was said to have done), it is puzzling as to why the individual
in the tower did not see it.

Another problem that the Condon report noted was the direction in
which the object departed. This direction was 255 degrees, which
would have the object pass within a mile of the local golf
course. No objects were reported by anyone from the golf course,
although if the speed of the UFO had been great, this is not
necessarily unusual. Craig noted that a northward-opening gap in
the trees was inconsistent with the 255 degree bearing. However,
Michalak clearly stated that the object rose vertically before
departing.

If Michalak made the story up, why would he have gone to so much
trouble to make it appear authentic? The Mayo Clinic psychiatric
report concluded that Michalak was not the type of person to
fabricate stories of this nature. If he had "fallen on a
barbecue" (suggested by one skeptic) and burned himself while
partying at Falcon Lake, why would it be necessary to claim it
was the result of a UFO encounter? If he wanted to make it look
good, would he not have made sure the site was found easily,
especially since Life magazine was going to give the story
publicity? A hoaxer of this caliber would certainly have wanted
that kind of attention.

Another possibility is that Michalak had a real encounter with
something, but someone else decided to improve the evidence so
that the case seemed better. Given the number of people involved
in both the military and civilian investigations, this is much
more likely than a solo hoax attempt on Michalak's part. The
problem is in the elimination of suspects.

Finally, a note should be made about the use of hypnosis in the
investigation of the case. CAPRO investigators located two
clinicians who used hypnosis in their practices. In one of the
earliest examples of hypnosis employed in ufology, Michalak
underwent at least one hypnosis session in the late 1960s.
Recently, a tape recording of a session was made available for
study. Unfortunately, little information that Michalak had not
already recalled consciously was uncovered during the session.
(The issue is complicated by the fact that one of the hypnotists
now denies that Michalak ever underwent hypnosis, yet the tape
recording clearly indicates such a session took place.)

If we assume that Michalak's story is truthful, then we have a
solid report of a landed UFO, complete with physical and
physiological effects. Personal interviews with the Michalaks
have shown them to be sincere people. They are intelligent,
levelheaded individuals, and well-read on many subjects. Their
annoyance at their notoriety is apparent, and their defensiveness
at further proddings show that they have been subjected to severe
ridicule and criticism since the incident first hit the media in
1967. It is likely that much more information about the case is
still in various files_lost, hidden or otherwise yet unavailable
to researchers piecing together the puzzle of that afternoon in
1967. It is hoped that anyone reading this report will reexamine
their files and perhaps make researchers with UFOROM, CUFOS or
other bodies aware of the relevant material.

Investigations are continuing. If officials were convinced
Michalak was a hoaxer, why was he not prosecuted for public
mischief? There was definitely evidence towards this end. It
certainly would have been an interesting court case, arguing
about the existence of UFOs. It is even possible that Michalak
would have won.


Acknowledgments

It has proven very challenging to recover useful documents and
piece together the Falcon Lake investigations. I would like to
thank the following people for their kind cooperation and
assistance in the preparation of this article: Roy Bauer, George
Eberhart, Greg Kennedy, Maria Michalak, Stanley Michalak, Stefan
Michalak, Mark Rodeghier, Berthold Schwarz, Vladimir Simosko, and
Michael Swords.


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