Several local residents and a motorist on Bypass 28 reported seeing unidentified flying objects Tuesday evening about 8:00 near Rainbow Lake.
_________________ of Spruce St. in Manchester told police that he was driving along the Bypass when he saw a bright object in the sky, hovering over Rainbow Lake. He went in closer to investigate and heard something crash into the lake.
Several persons who live by the lake were outdoors at the time, and say there were two objects moving in the air.
_______________ of Hilda Ave. saw the objects and described them as "whitish yellow" in color.
A Mark Ave. resident who asked not to be identified, told police that the objects were "about the size of a steering wheel." Other witnesses also said the objects were two to three feet in diameter, but several asked not to be identified.
The two objects descended towards the lake, according to the witnesses. Then one of them fell straight down and and splashed into the water, creating ripples on the shore. The other soared upwards and vanished.
The East Derry Fire Rescue Squad lowered a boat and searched the lake for two hours, but no trace of a fallen object was discovered.
Police have received over 40 calls concerning the UFO sighting. They speculate that the objects were meteorites or military paraflares. Swamp gas is also considered a possibility.
The divers swept the silty lake water with powerful searchlights, but their vision was impaired by the murky water, and they could not see more than a few inches ahead at any time.
Said one of the divers, "The only way they're going to get anything out of that lake is if they drag it."
Several weeks ago I described a purported UFO submersion here in Derry NH in the early seventies, and promised to get hold of the articles. Here they are, and sorry for the wait. BTW, this was on the front page.
I have deleted the names because I have to live in this town, and I'd rather not have a lot of people getting harassed thanks to me. If any serious researchers would like to discreetly reopen the case, please contact me and we can discuss it.