The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 17-Oct-54-Cier.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
Jacques Vallée indicates that on October 16, 1954, in Cier-de-Riviere, a small village 10 kilometers from Saint Gaudens and 7 kilometers from Montrejeau, Haute-Garonne, farmer Guy Puyfourcat was returning from the fields with a mare he held by the rein, when suddenly, the animal seemed to become very frightened while at the same time a sort of machine with a diameter of five feet, of a gray color and in the shape of a large pan, took off from behind some trees and bushes.
The machine climbed to an altitude of about 50 meters and came toward them, then the mare was suddenly drawn up in the air about 3 meters above the ground and the witness had to release the rein.
The mare fell back down like an inert mass and remained motionless for 10 minutes, and later was able to stand up, but would stumble and tremble with fear.
The machine had disappeared at a very great speed and the witness himself had not felt anything.
Jacques Vallée indicates that his source is the newspaper Sud-Ouest in November 1954.
[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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272 Oct. 16, 1954 Cier-de-Rivière (France):
Guy Puyfourcat, 22, who was coming back from the fields, leading a mare by the bridle, was surprised when the animal became restless. Rising from the side of the road, a gray object about 1.5 m in diameter flew over them. The mare rose about 3 m in the air, and the witness had to release the bridle. Then the animal fell like a mass and for 10 min was unable to move. At last, it rose and attempted to walk, but it was still trembling and stumbling with fear. The object had long since flown away at high speed. The witness himself had felt absolutely nothing. (Personal).
[Ref. gcn1:] GORDON CREIGHTON:
Cier-de-Rivière, France (October 16, 1954)
Guy Puyfourcat, aged 22, was coming back from the fields, leading a mare by the bridle, when he was surprised to see the animal suddenly become restless. Rising from the side of the road, a grey object about 1.5 m in diameter flew over them. The mare rose about 3 m. into the air, and he had to relinquish the bridle. Then the mare fell into a heap, and for ten minutes was unable to move. Then it rose, and attempting to walk, but was still trembling and stumbling with fear. The witness himself was unaffected.
Jacques Vallée (personal communication): Case No. 272 of A century of Landings, in Lumières Dans la Nuit, No 102 (October 1969) and Passport to Magonia.
[Ref. fle1:] FRANCOIS LAGARDE:
COUNTER-INVESTIGATION BY MR. DELPHIEUX
CASE #272 of "A CENTURY OF LANDINGS"
Our network of investigators, which now counts more than 600 people, managed to find a good ending of rather many counter-enquiries on the 1954 flap. Here is one of them.
This occurred on Sunday October 17, 1954 and now, in June 1970, the inhabitants of Cier-of-River (in Haute Garonne) still remember the adventure which happened to the young Guy Puyfourcat, aged at the time of 22 years, and who juste finished his military duties.
Mr. Verdier, the old secretary of the Town hall, let me know that 16 years ago, he had admitted with difficulty the statements of Guy Puyfourcat, but the latter was a sober young man, intelligent, who did not have anything of a hablor, nor of an eccentric. Currently, Mr. Verdier thinks that something indeed occurred and that one cannot doubt Guy's statements.
The latter left the village five years ago to go manage a restaurant in Pau.
I met his father, settled in Cier-de-River, and he said to me to hold in memory what had occurred on October 17, 1954 at about 9:30. His son had brought his mare, four years old, to go get a rake-tedder left the day before in the meadow located on the other side of the valley at approximately 2 km.
To arrive at this meadow, it was necessary to take a low dirt track, bordered of coppice, going to the top of the hill. This way was quite unattended.
So the son Guy Puyfourcat walked at the left of his animal while holding her by the support.
Almost when arriving at the top of the sort of pass by which the path crosses the hill, there is a rather flat ground of 300 square meters. While arriving at the edge of this piece of land, and emerging from the coppices with his animal, the young Guy saw the mare get frightened, looking towards the right. At this time three shrieking sounds were heard, like cries of wild birds, and in the same time, a machine rose behind a curtain of steering shafts, towards the East, with a whistling sound.
An important displacement of air occurred, and to his great amazement, mixed with fear, Guy saw his mare sucked up vertically to a height of 3 m approximately. He had to release the support so that he wouldn't be raised at the same time. The mare fell down on the ground like a mass, with a deaf noise for it was the body which had run up against the ground and not the members. It fell on its sides.
During this time, the machine had risen to an altitude of 50 m above this scene, marking a sort of halt before rushing towards the east. According to the father of the witness, his son, while making him these facts known, said to him that it was a circular machine of gray color, of a diameter of 1,30 m.
During ten minutes, the mare remained unconscious on the ground, then it stood up, covered of sweat and mud.
Guy and his animal then returned home, without going to get the rake-tedder, which was the goal of the trip.
Arriving at his place, Guy entrusted to his father what it had seen, and what had occurred. The father did not want to believe him although he knew that he is well-balanced but after having seen in which state the mare was and feeling that his son was still afraid, he understood that his son spoke the truth.
With him, in the afternoon, he went on the spot in order to look for traces possibly left by the machine. The exact site was not well located in consequence of the curtain of trees, they limited their research to the free ground close to the pass and did not find anything.
The mare was sold five years afterwards, but as it was not used for the reproduction nothing was noticed on this subject.
An investigation of gendarmerie was carried out at the time according to the secretary of the town hall, but it gathered no more information than those provided by Mr. Puyfourcat.
Other similar facts were not noticed since 1954 in this area.
In conclusion, the personality of the witness, considered to be intelligent, sober, reflected, then the skepticism of the father, then changed into well anchored certainty, prove that the facts which precede are really the effect of the truth, and that an unknown machine, perhaps a little larger than the indicated dimensions, really flew over and attracted Mr. Guy Puyfourcat's mare in the airs, which was well horseshoed.
Publisher's note: in front of such extraordinary facts, we will not excuse ourselves to affirm their reality, but we want to stress the very high competence of Mr. Delphieux as regards investigation, even if his modesty had it to suffer from that.
In his career, his competence and his successes were won him the highest rank in his speciality. He can estimate the sincerity of the witnesses, and to him, he told us upon return of his visit, their sincerity is unquestionable.
We had alas only this part to add to the file of this investigation which had only one single witness but who brings up facts where animals were involved.
The drawing by Mr. Tallé was made according to the photographs of location taken by Mr. Delphieux, who had gone on the spot where the incident had occurred.
F.L.
[Ref. amn1:] AUGUSTE MEESSEN:
The most interesting sighting is that of a horse being lifted 3m off the ground below a craft suddenly appearing from behind a row of trees and rising there about 50m, to then go away at lightning speed. The young man leading the mare heard a hiss and felt a strong air movement, but he was not lifted. He only had to let go, so as not to be dragged down with him (17.10.1954, France: 14, cases 272 and 16, Dec. 1965, 17-18). The suction area therefore seems to be clearly limited.
The source "14" is detailed in the references as "J. Vallée, Chronique des Apparitions Extraterrestres, Denoël, 1972."
The source "16" is detailed in the references as "Lumières dans la Nuit, Les Pins, 43 400 Le Chambon sur Lignon, France."
[Ref. gcn2:] GORDON CREIGHTON:
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47. Cier-de-Rivière, France - October 16, 1954.
Mr. Guy Puyfourcat was returning from the fields, leading a mare by the bridle, when he was surprised to see the animal stop suddenly. He then saw a greyish machine which rose from the side of the road and began to fly over him. The object must have been about 1.50 m in diameter. The witness noted details appearing under the object. The mare made such a leap that he had to let go of the reins, then she fell heavily on the ground where he remained motionless for a moment, trembling in all his limbs. The witness himself was unaffected.
Réf.: J. Vallée (personnal communication): Case nr 272 in "Un siècle d'atterrissages", LDLN and "Passport to Magonia".
[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
The two authors indicate that according to the catalogue of Jacques Vallée, in Cier-de-Rivière in the Haute-Garonne, on October 16, 1954, a 22 year old farmer, Guy Puyfourcat, who returned from the fields, led his mare by the leach. Contrary to the usual the animal became increasingly nervous. All of a sudden within a few meters in front of the farmer, a gray object of approximately 1,50 meters in diameter took off and passed above the mare. The animal rose at a height of approximately 3 meters, forcing Guy Puyfourcat to release the leach. The mare fell down like a mass.
During ten minutes, the farmer vainly tried to make it stand and succeeded finally. The animal trembled of fear and took again the road only with hesitation. Guy Puyfourcat himelf had felt strictly nothing. The authors think he had probably been, at a few tens of centimetres close, out of the gravitational field of the machine.
[Ref. hia1:] "HISTORIA" MAGAZINE:
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The magazine briefly indicates that Jacques Vallée reported an extraordinary event that occurred on October 16, 1954, in Cier-de-Rivière in the Haute-Garonne, in which Guy P., aged 22, is said to have seen his mare which he held on the leech sucked up to a 3 meters height by a gray object of approximately 1.50 meters in diameter. According to him, at the almost instantaneous departure of the object, the animal fell down on the ground and remained unable to move during ten minutes. The magazine comments on that "one is tempted to be skeptic!"
[Ref. hjn1:] HENRI JULIEN:
The author indicates that in France in Gier-de-Rivière a mare rises a few meters under a disc, 1.50 meters in diameter, and falls down paralysed.
[Ref. uin1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "UFO INFORMATIONS":
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A MARINE SUCKED UP BY A UFO
On October 17, 1954, in Cier de Rivière, Mr. Guy Puyfourcat, aged 22 at the time, did indeed see, this time, a UFO sucking up his mare.
The witness walked to the left of his beast, holding it by the bridle, as they emerged from the thickets, he saw the latter frightened, looking to the right. At this moment, three shrill cries, like the cries of wild birds were heard, and, at the same time, a
-30-
circular craft, gray in color, about 1.50 m in diameter rose behind a curtain of trees in an easterly direction, with a hissing sound. A significant movement of air took place, and to his amazement, the young man saw his mare as sucked vertically at about 3 meters high.
He had to seek shelter so as not to be sucked up at the same time. The mare fell to the ground like a mass, with a thud.
Meanwhile, the craft climbed 50 meters above this scene, marking a sort of stop before heading east at high speed.
The mare remained inanimate for about ten minutes, then it stood up, covered in sweat and mud.
VALLEE CATALOG - case br 272, L.D.L.N. 109 p. l7-18.
[Ref. ldl1:] "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
For comparison with another case the magazine mentions that on October 17, 1954 in Cier de Rivière in the Haute Garonne young Guy Puyfourcat who led a mare by the bride had the stupor to see his animal taking off the ground and levitate up to three meters high while a UFO took off at a few meters from there.
The source is noted "LDLN # 109 p.17".
[Ref. gab1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "G.A.B.R.I.E.L.":
"Impossible" is not "Martian"
There are reports of "Flying Saucer" sightings that are quite incredible. But when the facts recur, as impossible as they seem to us, we have to take them into account and see if they do not fit into the theories considered.
10/17/1954 Cier de Rivière (Haute Garonne)
That Sunday, around 9:30 a.m., young Guy Puyfourcat was leading his mare. In a banked path, the beast gave signs of concern, at this moment, three piercing cries rang out and a craft rose whistling from behind a curtain of trees. A significant movement of air took place and to his great amazement the witness saw his mare as if sucked vertically at more than 3m in height. He had to let go so as not to be dragged away at the same time. Then the beast fell flat on its side. The craft which was the "cause" of the phenomenon measured about 1.50m in diameter, it was gray in color and it flew over the man and the beast at a height of about 50m. (J. Giraud; L.D.L.N.)
[...other cases...]
A mare, a truck and bags of cement which "escape momentarily from gravity! It seems inconceivable. These facts are nevertheless indisputable. Each of them proves that the "Flying Saucers" are able to act on gravity not only to ensure their sustenance, but also from a distance. All things considered, if we refer to the attempt at an explanation that we have provided for Poncey sur l'Ignon's hole, it's not impossible. The "Flying Saucers" could therefore use force fields as tools. As to why the choice of their action focused on a mare, a truck and bags of cement... But, here again, it seems logical to us to think that these actions were motivated and did not result from an involuntary consequence of the propulsion of the craft. The key detail that allows us to make this assumption is the fact that young Guy Puyfourcat did not suffer the fate of his mare. Only the animal was therefore targeted.
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
Witness Guy Puyfourcat takes his four years old mare to go to seek a tedder rake left the day before in a meadow located at the other side of the valley, at approximately 2 km. He takes a hollow dirt track, bordered of coppice, he goes on the left of his animal, while holding it by the leach. Almost while arriving at the top of a sort of pass, through which the path crosses the hill, there is a rather flat ground of 300 square meters approximately. While arriving at the edge of this flat ground, and emerging from the coppices with his animal, the young man sees that the mare is frightened, looking towards its right.
At this time, three high pitched yells, as yells of wild birds are heard and, at the same time, a circular machine of gray color, of approximately 1 m 50 of diameter rises behind a curtain of steering shafts of the east, with a whistle. An important air volume displacement takes place, and, to his great amazement, our witness sees his mare sucked up vertically to 3 meters high approximately. He had to release the leach not to be sucked up too. The mare falls on the ground like a mass, with a noise, for it was its body which runs up against the ground and not its members, it fall on the side.
During this time, the apparatus goes up to 50 meters of altitude above the place, marking a kind of stop before leaving towards the east at high speed. During ten minutes, the mare remains inanimate on the ground, then it stood up, covered of sweat and mud.
The witness and his animal then return home, without going to seek the rake, which was the goal of their displacement. While arriving at his place, the young man entrusts to his father what he saw, and, in the afternoon, they go on the spot, in the search of possible traces left by the machine, but they do not find anything.
A gendarmerie investigation was done.
[Ref. mft2:] MICHEL FIGUET:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 224 | CE0-2 | 17 10 1954 | 09.30 | Cier-de-Rivière 31 51 0 E3 | NI, OVNI: p. 177 |
[Ref. jve7:] JACQUES VALLEE:
Jacques Vallée indicates that in a case in France in the countryside in 1954 a man who was coming back from the fields with his horse had to let go of the bridle as the animal was lifted several feet in the air, while a dark circular object was flying fast over the trail they were following.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
83 - October 17, 9:30 a.m., Cier-de-Rivière, Haute-Garonne.
Mr. Guy Puyfourcat, 22 years old.
The witness leads a mare through a meadow. He is suddenly alerted by the behavior of the beast which manifests fear. Three kinds of cries are suddenly heard and at the same time a craft rises from behind a close curtain of trees. A significant displacement of air occurs and the amazed witness then sees his mare sucked up vertically to a height of three meters. He is even forced to let go of the beast's rein so as not to follow the movement. Then the mare falls heavily on her side. The animal gets up unscathed after ten minutes. A newspaper of the time reports that the mare accomplished twenty meters in the air, lifted by "a flying basin".
Source: LDLN n°109, p. 17-18. See especially D.O. 78 (investigation) and 79 (sketch).
Local source: La Gazette du Périgord, Périgueux, October 18, 1954, p. 1 and 3.
[Ref. jca1:] JACQUES COSTAGLIOLA:
The author indicates that on October 17, 1954, in Cier de Rivière in the Haute Garonne, at 9:30, Guy Puyfourcat, aged 22, handing the support his 4 year old mare on a height with a clear sight, heard a cry and saw a disc going down vertically, to land in a field and to rise behind a curtain of trees towards the east with a whistling sound and a violent displacement of air volume. The mare was sucked up for three meters and fell down on the side. The craft made a short stop within 50 meters then darted towards the east. The mare needed 10 minutes to stand up.
The source is noted "R. Otahi, 1973".
[Ref. jsc1:] JOHN SCHUESSLER - JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION:
1954/10/16 FRANCE, CIER-DE-RIVIERE
Source: Official UFO, Feb. 76
A UFO, flying up from the roadside, passed over a witness leading a horse. The animal rose up 10 feet in the air and dropped to the ground. The animal was unable to move for 10 minutes, but the human was not affected.
EFFECTS: Levitation
Animal reaction
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1954, October 17
FRANCE, Cier de Rivière - Haute Garonne
Guy Puyfourcat, 22, who was returning from the fields leading a mare by the bridle, was surprised to find that the animal was nervous. Emerging from the side of the road a gray object about 1.50 in diameter flew over it. The mare rose to a height of 3 meters and the witness had to let go of the bridle. Then the animal fell like a lump and was unable to move for 10 minutes. Finally it got up and tried to walk, but it was all shaking with fear. The object had long since flown away at high speed. The witness himself felt absolutely nothing. (Jacques Vallée: "Chronique des apparitions ET" - DENoeL 1972 - COLL. J'AI LU - p. in the morning the witness brings his mare to fetch a tedder rake left the day before in a meadow. (...) At this moment three piercing cries, like the cries of wild birds are heard and at the same time a craft rises with a whistle. (...) The beast fell on its side and remained lifeless for 10 minutes on the ground. The facts took place on Sunday October 17 (and not on October 16) (FIGUET/ J.L. RUCHON: "Ovni, premier dossier complet..." - ed. Alain Lefeuvre 1979, p. 177, 178)
[Ref. dbj1:] DESMOND BRAGG AND PAUL JOSLIN:
The authors say that Vallée reported a classic case of a French farmer who encountered a UFO, while returning from the fields with a mare he held in rein. The animal became suddenly frightened when at the same time a sort of machine with a diameter of 2 meters, a gray color and the shape of a large pan took off from behind some trees and bushes. It climbed to an altitude of about 50 meters, came towards them, the mare was then lifted off the ground and the farmer had to release the rein. The mare fell down like an inert mass, remained motionless for about 10 minutes and was then able to stand, but stumbled and trembled with fear. The craft disappeared at high speed. The farmer had felt nothing.
The source is indicated as Vallée, 1966, page 113.
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
October 16: at Cier-de-Rivière, Guy Puyfourcat comes back from the field leading his female horse, when he was flown over by a grey object of 1 meter 50 of diameter. His horse is then "sucked up" by the UFO and raises up to a height of 3 meters. Then the animal falls back onto the ground, knocked out. The witness, who had to let the horse go during its levitation, says he has felt nothing during this strange adventure.
[Ref. fbn1:] FABRICE BONVIN:
Fabrice Bonvin notes:
Case #028: 17/10/1954, p. 177 (Cier-de-Rivière)
[Ref. fbn2:] FABRICE BONVIN:
In a table, Fabrice Bonvin notes selected cases of the 1954 Frnech flap, including this one:
| Case | Nmbr witnesses | Hours | Type objects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cier-de-Rivière | 1 | 2 | 2 |
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4172: 1954/10/17 09:30 18 0:38:00 E 43:04:00 N 3333 WEU FRN HGR B:8
CIER de RIVIERE,FR:5'UFO LEVITATES HORSE ^ 10':THEN DROPS IT!:>>E:/FSR v16#3
Ref# 30 FIGEUT[sic]&RUCHON: OVNI: Le 1er Dossier Page No. 177 : FARMLANDS
[Ref. jca2:] JACQUES COSTAGLIOLA, MD:
French ufologist and MD Jacques Costagliola entered in his listing:
| date | place | witnesses | wounds | bibliography |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.17.1954 | F, Cier/Garonne | Guy Puyfourcat, aged 22 | horse sucked up three meters high than falls back 10 min on the ground | Otahi |
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
On this Day
October 16
[...]
1954 – In Cier-de-Riviere, France Guy Puyfourcat, age 22, was coming back from the fields leading a mare by her halter when the horse surprised him by suddenly becoming restless and jumpy. Rising from the side of the road, a gray object about 1.5 meters in diameter flew over them. The mare rose about three meters into the air and the witness had to release her. Then the animal fell to the ground like a mass and for 10 minutes was unable to move. At last, it got up and attempted to walk, but it was still trembling and stumbling with fear. The object had long since flown away at high speed. The witness himself had felt absolutely nothing. (Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 231).
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Haute Garonne in Cier de Rivière on October 17, 1954 at 9:30 hours "The witness brings his mare, four years old, to go to seek a rake-tedder left the day before in a meadow located on the other side of the valley, at approximately 2 km. He takes a hollow dirt track, bordered of coppice, he walks on the left of his animal, holding it by the support. Almost when arriving at the top of a sort of pass, by which the way crosses the hill, is a rather flat ground of 300 m2 approximately. While arriving in edge of this ground, and emerging from the coppices with his animal, the young man sees the latter is frightened, looking towards the right."
"At this time, three piercing yells, like cries of wild birds are heard and, at the same time, a circular machine of gray color, approximately 1 m 50 of diameter rises behind a curtain of steering shafts from the east, with a whistling sound. An important air volume displacement takes place, and, to his great amazement, our witness sees his mare sucked up vertically at 3 meters, approximately, in height. He must let go the support to not be sucked up at the same time. The mare falls on the ground like a mass, with a deaf noise, for it is the body which runs up against the ground and not its members, it falls on the side."
"During this time, the apparatus goes up at 50 meters of altitude above this scene, marking a kind of stop before leaving towards the east at high speed. During ten minutes, the mare remains inanimate on the ground, then it stands up, covered of sweat and mud."
"The witness and his animal then go back home, without going to get the rake-tedder, the essential goal of their trip. While arriving home, the young man tells his father what he saw, and, in the afternoon, they go on the spot, in the search of possible traces left by the machine, but they do not find anything."
"A gendarmerie investigation was carried out."
The source is indicated as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".
[Ref. jjv1:] JEAN-JACQUES VELASCO:
Jean-Jacques Vélasco reports that the apparent nonsense in the cases of the Frnech saucers flap of 1954 is amazing, and he give as an example the case of Cier-of-River in the Haute-Garonne on October 17, 1954, as the only case known in France of an "bduction" attempt.
He indicates that a young farmer was lifted from the ground with his mare by a flying saucer which tried to suck him up.
He wonders whether the alcohol consumption in the French countryside were so excessive that it started a massive epidemic of psychological disorder, but does not think it was so.
He indicates that according to the secretary of town hall of the time, the investigation of the gendarmerie "did not give any result".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 16 October 1954 at 09:30, in Cier-De-Riviere, France, "An object was observed. Gravity effects were noted. Traces found. One object, about 5 feet across, was observed by one male 22-year-old witness on a farm."
The sources are indicated as FSR, FSR (formerly Flying Saucer Review), FSR, London, 1966; Bowen, Charles, The Humanoids: FSR Special Edition No. 1, FSR, London, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, Anatomy of a Phenomenon, Henry Regnery, Chicago, 1965; Vallee, Jacques, A Century of Landings (N = 923), (in JVallee04), Chicago, 1969; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173); Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002.
[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 16 October 1954 in Cier-de-Riviere, France, "A gray object about 1.5 meters in diameter flew over a man and a horse."
And: "In Cier-de-Riviere, France Guy Puyfourcat, age 22, was coming back from the fields leading a mare by her halter when the horse surprised him by suddenly becoming restless and jumpy. Rising from the side of the road, a gray object about 1.5 meters in diameter flew over them. The mare rose about three meters into the air and the witness had to release her. Then the animal fell to the ground like a mass and for 10 minutes was unable to move. At last, it got up and attempted to walk, but it was still trembling and stumbling with fear. The object had long since flown away at high speed. The witness himself had felt absolutely nothing."
And: "Guy Puyfourcat, 22, who was coming back from the fields, leading a mare by the bridle, was surprised when the animal became restless. Rising from the side of the road, a gray object about 1.5 meters in diameter flew over them. The mare rose about three meters in the air, and the witness had to release the bridle. Then the animal fell like a mass and for ten minutes was unable to move. At last, it rose and attempted to walk, but it was still trembling and stumbling with fear. The object had long since flown away at high speed. The witness himself had felt absolutely nothing."
And: "An object was observed. Gravity effects were noted. Traces found."
And: "One object, about 5 feet across, was observed by one male 22-year-old witness on a farm (Puyfourcat)."
The source is indicated as Vallee Magonia Database.
[Ref. lde1:] "LA DEPECHE" NEWSPAPER:
In 1954, everyone sees little green men. A young peasant of Comminges claims to have observed a flying saucer.
Cier-of-river, the sky is low. It kisses the ground so much that in the autumn 1954, it would have deposited a flying saucer at the edge of a small wood. Guy Puyfourcat, a guy of the village, cstates he saw it.
On October 17, this 22-year-old young man, crosses the borough with his mare. "A handsome animal" remembers at the village one the rare survivors of that time.
At the locality "Aoumasc", behind "le col" of Cier-de-Rivière, the animal, suddenly very nervous, bucks. Guy Puyfourcat says he heard " shrieking calls" before seeing, on his right, three creatures running into a gray saucer. The object takes off, attracting the mare in its wake.
The animal is lifted for three good meters before falling down heavily, under the amazed eyes of the farmer of Cier.
The ufo remains hovering a few seconds, then disappears at a tremendous speed. amazed, Guy Puyfourcat returns to the borough with the still stunned animal and tells everything to his father, initially skeptical. But little by little, he adheres to the speech of his extremely shocked son.
The gendarmes and the prosecutor of Saint-Gaudens go on the spot, investigate, but do not discover anything abnormal. Nevertheless, the young man's story spreads in the county.
"There were many skeptics, Jean Pourteau, an octogenarian resident living in the village next to Ardiège remembers. But Guy Puyfourcat was a sensible boy. And he told its history with such an enthusiasm, that we were actaully forced to believe him."
"Bullshit!"
"Bullshit!" shouts a resident of the village today. However, the old manensures, "Guy was sober. It was of average intelligence but he was not stupid."
A resident confirms: "Guy did not tell lies. He was a normal guy..." Why would he have lied, at the risk to be seen as an idiot by the village?" It was the time of the ufos, it was the Martians fashion", answers Joseph Castex, 85-year-old, guard-pastoral of Cier-of-River in 1954. "But these were not appearances, it was a fact", the octogenarian hammers.
UFO OR "SOULET"?
The former guard-pastoral advance two assumptions: "The mare might have been frightened by a snake, although there are not many in the area. Also, a climatic phenomenon could have occurred: at the village, one calls that the soulet (pronounced "tchoulet"), a kind of swirl which is formed in the plain. At the time, when the hays were made, this phenomenon dispersed all the straw in the fields. The soulet lifts everything. Did it have the force to suck up a mare? I do not know..."
Guy Puyfourcat, deceased about twenty years ago without heirs, took his secret in the grave.
The young man had left the village, little after the events of 1954. He had opened a restaurant in Lacq, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, but had gone bankrupt.
"He did not have the vocation to be a peasant, explains one of his former neighbors. But he cooked very well." Thereafter, it had found work in a Saint-Béat convent.
Then he died rather young. From diabetes.
[The article continues with a general discussion of UFO sightings.]
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Oct. 16, 1954 – In Cier-de-Riviere, France Guy Puyfourcat, age 22, was coming back from the fields leading a mare by her halter when the horse surprised him by suddenly becoming restless and jumpy. Rising from the side of the road, a gray object about 1.5 meters in diameter flew over them. The mare rose about three meters into the air and the witness had to release her. Then the animal fell to the ground like a mass and for 10 minutes was unable to move. At last, it got up and attempted to walk, but it was still trembling and stumbling with fear. The object had long since flown away at high speed. The witness himself had felt absolutely nothing. (Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 231).
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case 9 times:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-de-Riviere | France | |||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-de-Riviere | France | |||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-de-Riviere | France | |||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-de-Riviere | France | CE I | ||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-de-Riviere | France | CE II | ||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-de-Riviere | France | |||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-de-Riviere | France | |||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-de-Riviere | France | |||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Cier-ok-Riviere | France |
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
October 17 1954. 0930hrs.
CIER DE RIVIERE (HAUTE GARRONE : FRANCE)
Guy Puyfourcat (22) who was coming back from the fields leading a mare by the bridle was surprised when the animal became restless. Rising from the side of the road, a grey object about 1.5m diameter flow over them. The mare rose about 3m into the air and Guy had to release the bridle. Then the animal fell like a lump and for 10 minutes was unable to move. Eventually it got up and tried to walk but was still trembling and stumbling with fear. The object had long since flown away at high speed. Guy himself felt absolutely nothing.
|
Not looked for yet.
This sketch published in "Lumières Dans La Nuit" is said to have been drawn by R. Tallé and based on a photograph of the place:
|
While the date of October 16 from Jacques Vallée has been widely reproduced, I chose, as J. Costagliola did, to assign the case to October 17, a Sunday, as indicated by Mr. Delphieux in his counter-investigation.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Cier-de-Rivière, Haute-Garonne, Guy Puyfourcat, field, horse, animal, abduction, object, grey, levitation
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | October 16, 2007 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | March 4, 2010 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [ldl1], [lcn1], [uda1], [uda2], [lde1], "Sketch". |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | March 18, 2010 | Addition [hjn1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | June 16, 2010 | Addition [dbj1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | July 3, 2010 | Additions [jve7], [fbn2]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | October 17, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | October 10, 2016 | Addition [jjv1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | February 2, 2017 | Addition [jjv1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | December 2, 2021 | Additions [uin1], [mft2], [lhh1], [prn2]. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | March 18, 2022 | Addition [gcn2]. |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | June 26, 2022 | Additions [amn1], [goe1]. |
| 2.0 | Patrick Gross | July 4, 2022 | Additions [jsr1], [gab1]. |
