Five Days Missing

On November 5, 1975, logger Travis Walton was hit by a beam of light from a UFO in front of six coworkers. He vanished. For five days, police suspected his crew of murder. Then Walton returned with an impossible story—and everyone passed their polygraphs.

The Work Crew

Who was there:

• Travis Walton
• Mike Rogers (crew boss)
• Allen Dalis
• John Goulette
• Steve Pierce
• Kenneth Peterson
• Dwayne Smith

The Location

Apache-Sitgreaves Forest:

• Near Snowflake, Arizona
• Remote woodland
• Logging contract
• After work
• Driving home

The Sighting

What happened:

• November 5, 1975
• Driving out
• Bright light
• Through trees
• Craft visible

The Object

What they saw:

• Glowing disc
• Hovering
• Above clearing
• Golden/amber
• 20 feet diameter

Walton’s Decision

His action:

• Got out of truck
• Walked toward craft
• Against crew’s warnings
• Under the object
• Then struck

The Beam

What hit him:

• Blue-green light
• From craft bottom
• Struck Walton
• Threw him backwards
• He fell motionless

The Crew’s Reaction

What they did:

• Panic
• Drove away
• Fear overwhelming
• Thought he was dead
• Regretted leaving

The Return

They came back:

• Within minutes
• Searched area
• No Walton
• No craft
• Nothing

The Search

Official efforts:

• Massive manhunt
• Five days
• 53 searchers
• Dogs, helicopters
• Found nothing

Murder Suspicion

Police theory:

• Crew killed him
• Hid body
• UFO story cover
• All suspects
• Serious investigation

The Polygraphs

Truth testing:

• All six tested
• All six passed
• Regarding UFO
• Regarding Walton’s disappearance
• Cleared of murder

Walton Returns

November 10:

• Phone call
• Gas station
• Confused, dehydrated
• No memory of time
• Five days gone

His Memories

What he recalled:

• Inside craft
• Alien beings
• Small, large-eyed
• Examination
• Time confusion

The Beings

What he saw:

• Short creatures
• Large eyes
• Examination table
• Also humanoid figures
• Multiple types

His Polygraph

Walton tested:

• Also passed
• Regarding account
• Not lying
• All seven clear
• Unprecedented

The Book

“Fire in the Sky”:

• Walton’s account
• 1978 publication
• Detailed story
• Later film
• Famous case

The Movie

1993 film:

• Same title
• Based on case
• Dramatized
• Brought attention
• Still watched

Skeptical Challenges

Attempts to debunk:

• Failed polygraph (disputed)
• Hoax theory
• Money motive
• None proven
• Witnesses consistent

Current Status

Today:

• All witnesses maintain account
• 50 years later
• Never recanted
• Consistent story
• Active public presence

Significance

Seven witnesses to a UFO abduction, all passing polygraphs, with the victim returning after five days with memories of alien contact.

Legacy

Travis Walton’s case set the standard for abduction accounts—multiple witnesses, polygraph verification, missing time, and consistent testimony spanning 50 years.