The story probably came from the newspaper Le Parisien, in the Seine-et-Marne issue for October 11, 1989. An investigation on the spot by Jean Sider and another LDLN investigator appeared in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit of September 1989.
In late August 1988, or probably on Saturday, August 27, 1988, José and Sonia Soulard went by car to Germigny-l'Evêque to attend the annual festival of this village.
Around midnight, they parked on the field that usually serves as parking area, they found out no other vehicle was there, thought they had the date wrong for the party, and decided to drive back home.
They drove a few tens of meters on the small road called "le Chemin du Fond de Rivière" ("the Path of the Bottom of the River"), reached the D97 road, when suddenly, a light drew their attention to their left.
In a slightly hilly field, they saw that this white clarity, in a circular arc, well rounded in the words of Mr. Soulard, was lighting up a stocky, dark figure.
The glow lighted the surrounding woods, but left the witnesses in complete darkness. After contemplating the phenomenon a few moments, 30 or 45 seconds according to Mr. Soulard, a few minutes according to Ms. Soulard, they returned home.
The next days Mrs. S. tried to find a prosaic explanation for her observation and checked on the spot and at night, that the lights of a hotel in the wood there could not have been the cause of their vision. This check showed her the inadequacy of this explanation.
A picture of the location and a witness sketch appeared in LDLN - they can be seen further bleow in this file.
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[Ref. ld1:] "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
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August 1988, Germigny l'Evêque (Seine and Marne)Alerted by an article by Parisien Libéré (October 11, 1989 edition), Jean Sider and a Lumières Dans La Nuit investigator went on site to get more information on what the press had called "The Midnight Giant". The witnesses, whose anonymity we wish to respect, have kindly shared their experience, despite some initial reluctance, and the following facts have been established: at the end of August 1988, a Saturday (probably the 27th), Mr. and Mrs. S. drive to Germigny l'Evêque, thinking to attend the annual festival of this village. Around midnight, when they parked on the field that usually serves as parking, and they find the absence of any other vehicle, they decide to go home, understanding that the party was to take place on another date. After having taken for a few tens of meters the small road known as "the path of the bottom of the river", they reach the D97 and, either when turning to the right to take this departmental, or after having crossed it during a few meters a sudden light draws their attention to their left, in a gently undulating field, a white light, in a circular arc, well rounded according to the terms of Mr. S., illuminates the back with a stocky and dark silhouette. This light slightly illuminates the surrounding woods but leaves the witnesses in complete darkness, Mr. and Mrs. S. disagree on how much time they had spent observing the phenomenon, in any case, after 30 or 45 seconds, according to Mr. S or, after a few minutes, according to Mrs. S, they return to their home, and the following days Mrs. S. tried to find a prosaic explanation for her observation and checked on the spot and at night, that the lights of a hotel are blush in the wood, could not have been the cause of their vision. This check will show him the inadequacy of this explanation. LDLN will discuss this observation in more detail, as well as a number of cases that have recently appeared in this region. [Photo caption and drawing:] The phenomenon was observed between the two signposts, at the bottom of the field, in front of the edge of the wood. The lower part of the silhouette was indistinct. The sketch was made by the witnesses themselves. |
[Ref. lc1:] LUC CHASTAN - "BASE OVNI FRANCE":
Germigny l'Eveque (77) the of August 1988General characteristics
Characteristics of the object
Characteristics of the entity(ies)
Observation A couple is driving on the path of the river bottom. By approaching the crossroads of this path with the D97, a sudden clarity draws their attention to their left. In a slightly hilly field, they observe a white light in a round circle. This light lightens the woods around, but above all illuminates the back a stocky and dark figure. The two witnesses remain a short moment to observe this apparition then resume their route. (information published in Le Parisien for 11//1989) Sources Lumières dans la Nuit issue 299 |
[Ref. jg1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that there was a close encounter of the third kind at Germigny l'Eveque, Seine-et-Marne, France, at the end of August 1988, probably on Saturday 27th, around 00:00 a.m.:
José and Sonia Soulard went by car to Germigny l'Evêque, thinking they would be able to attend the annual festival of this village.
Around midnight, when they had parked on the field that usually served as a parking lot, and they noticed the absence of any other vehicle, they decided to go home, understanding that the party was to take place at another date.
After having taken the small road called the "Chemin du fond de rivière" for a few tens of meters, they reached the D97 and, suddenly, a clarity drew their attention to their left.
In a slightly undulating field, a white light, in a circular arc, well rounded in the words of M. Soulard, illuminated the back a stocky and dark figure.
The glow lighted the surrounding woods, but left the witnesses in complete darkness. After contemplating the phenomenon a few moments, 30 or 45 seconds according to Mr. Soulard, a few minutes according to Ms. Soulard, they returned to their home.
The author gives as sources "Lumières dans la Nuit, nr 299, page 9 (investigation of Jean Sider)"; "Le Parisien (issue of Seine-et-Marne) for October 11, 1989"; "Denys Breysse's personal communication (June 2010)".
All this really looks like a matter of very little strangeness, a misinterpretation: in the dark night, at an unknkown distance, some light in a field illuminates a character, only described as the back of a "bulky and dark silhouette".
One can think that someone was doing something there, nothing more. A farmer, the light of his tractor; a motorist... There is little reason to think that the light was a UFO, and rather the impression that it was some headlight or a flashlight suspended or held, illuminating the ground by forming a circle of which one part was visible.
There is talk of an "investigation" by Jean Sider. I do not have for the moment this text published in LDLN; but having nearly 200 issues of that magazine, I have never found any investigation by Jean Sider, only articles. Likewise with regard to his books, of which I have almost the totality; there are no investigations, but compilation of all sorts of third-party sources, and their interpretations by this author. Jean Sider, prolific author certainly, had in my opinion simply quoted the Press source, as often, without any investigation. I would like to be proven wrong...
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | Severe | August 5, 2018 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Missing the primary source Le Parisien for October 11, 1989. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 2 | Data | Severe | August 5, 2018 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Missing the secondary source LDLN 299 | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 3 | Ufology | Severe | August 5, 2018 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | No strangeness reported. | - | - |
No strangeness, probable misinterpretation.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 5, 2018 | Creation, [lc1], [jg1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | August 5, 2018 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | August 20, 2018 | Addition [ld1]. Chnage of the Summary, 1st paragraph "It seems to have been included in the ufology magazine" changed to "An investigation on the spot by Jean Sider and another LDLN investigator appeared in". In the Summary, additions of the paraggraphs "The next days Mrs. S. tried to find a prosaic explanation for her observation and checked on the spot and at night, that the lights of a hotel in the wood there could not have been the cause of their vision. This check showed her the inadequacy of this explanation." and "A picture of the location and a witness sketch appeared in LDLN - they can be seen further bleow in this file." |
