Fireball over Dana Point, CA
A witness account on file, unevaluated. Most of the archive rests here, and honestly so.
The report, as filed
At 0100 today, 01/24/18, a bright orb appeared in the sky and immediately disappeared. Roughly 30 seconds later, it reappeared in the same spot and maintained its position before fading away again. Another 30 seconds went by and it was down the coast towards Laguna Beach and moving at an accelerated speed and arcing upwards. Immediately after it disappeared for the final time, helicopters and jets were seen in the night sky where it originally appeared.
Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center (record NUFORC #138569). Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.
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Routed to: Federal Aviation Administration · records window 2018-01-21 → 2018-02-07
From the same sky
Related entries
June 27, 2022 · 10:00 PM · TRIANGLE
Dana Point, CA
Partner and I were facing about West, sitting on patio chairs while laying back and looking at the stars. High and to our right (about to our North) I thought we saw what started to look like just another shooting star, but the “shooting star” quickly became apparent as being three lights in a rigid triangle formation as they approached. The craft “flared,” like a jet plane would when making course correction to slow its decent and it leveled off. There was no sound, but the lights glowed brightly (a bright, yellowish white glow) as if to be catching the friction from the maneuver. I’m confident the space between these lights was blocking stars behind it, so while it was very dark one could still see that it was a rather large, triangle-shaped aerial craft. After the craft slowed its descent it continued course to the West and over the ocean. As it cruised away the glow from the three lights faded and we lost sight of the object. The whole sighting lasted less than ten seconds, but my partner saw the exact same thing and confirmed the description and agreed it was a craft of some kind. It’s hard to gauge the size of the object because of the darkness and the lack of reference (especially the lack of any sound), but it was not small—certainly not a drone or even fighter jet sized. It could have been a triangle that had edges as small as -20ft, or they could have been as large as ~80ft. The lack of sound suggests it was higher in elevation, making the object much larger. But it seemed to level off only a few thousand feet up (about propeller plane/helicopter altitudes) making one think it could have been smaller and just more stealthy. I’d guess it to be in between those previous estimates, with a triangle of edges about 30 feet in length—kind of like the size of a mobile home. After internet search it was a pretty classic “black triangle UFO”. We didn’t share this sighting with anyone at the time, but upon recently talking with a friend to mentioned the unexplained lights and sightings to the South in San Diego shortly after this, it could possibly be connected.
December 22, 2017 · 5:00 PM · SPHERE
Dana Point, CA
Someone shot or launched two rockets or orbs from a house over looking the ocean institute in Dana Point north of Doheny. From this house on top of the cliffs overlooking the parking lot there was a noise and smoke then a flying object flew slowily out to sea very high in the sky. This object had only two beacons of light pointing back behind it at the house and smoke it left as it flew over the ocean. Another object followed it quite a ways behind it then went more north over the ocean. It was a glowing orb more orange and not as bright. It grew dimer and fell as the other orb continued at a slightly more southern angle and flew over the sea and disappeared into the atmosphere. Missile launch from Vandenberg AFB. PD
October 17, 2017 · 8:30 PM · CIRCLE
Dana Point, CA
I was sitting outside in the backyard in the open. I was talking on the phone and looking up in distance I see a red light, it was only like a dot in the sky but it was not flashing. I figured it was an airplane because it was going about as fast as a regular airplane would go. So, didn't pay too much attention until about a few minutes later when I looked up again to see the UFO stopping in mid air. I almost could not believe what I was seeing. There is no plane I know of that just stops in mid air. That lasted for another minute or two and then, unexpectedly the UFO shot straight up at a speed of thousands of miles per hour. I haven't really told anyone because I know how most people think. More people will think I am making this up than not. I am convinced that this has been happening for a very long time and the Truth MUST be told.
June 23, 2017 · 10:00 PM · SPHERE
Dana Point, CA
My wife and I had just returned from dinner to our room at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, and walked out on the balcony, facing the ocean. Looking south towards San Clemente, we saw a bright orange/, red roundish ball of shimmering light coming up the coast, coming directly towards us, but slightly moving left to right and very slowly at the same time. The elevation was around 2,000 feet and we guessed the size of it was about the same as a large helicopter although it was clearly not a helicopter. It made no noise as it approached us and just as it was almost overhead, it started going nearly straight up and over the ocean with increasing speed until it got smaller and smaller. At this point we could no longer see it. I am an avid aviation enthusiast and have been to countless airshows, military and private, and have never seen anything like this.
August 30, 2016 · 4:00 PM · LIGHT
Dana Point, CA
A singular bright orange, circular light was traveling slowly across the sky just over the beach area. It got brighter at one point and then disappeared. Multiple individuals observed this.
September 13, 2014 · 11:52 PM · LIGHT
Dana Point, CA
My boyfriend and I were sitting on our balcony at a hotel in Dana Point. We were facing Northwest when we noticed a red glowing light rising up. I have witnessed these things many times and I was excited to have him witness it as well. He is NOT a believer. He always tries o debunk what I see by saying it was Chinese lanterns or a plane. He is now baffled by it, but I know for a fact we witness a red fireball. It was bright red. We were first noticed the fireball when it was the size of a tiny red star. Then all of a sudden It grew bigger and then smaller as it was rising. This thing was huge in the distance. It grew to the size of a basketball. Then would reduce to the size of star all while glowing and floating. Then after about a minute, it shrank again and completely vanish. My boyfriend of course was in disbelief trying to debunk it, but what sealed the deal was the helicopter to followed that circled for a good 15 minutes after it disappe! ared. NOTE: We have not heard or seen one helicopter all night or ll day for that matter.