YEAR: 1982

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

DATE: 8

STATE: Kentucky

COUNTY: Mason County

NEAREST TOWN: Maysville (Orangeburg)

NEAREST ROAD: 1449

OBSERVED: My brothers and I were swimming in the creek across from my Mom and Dad's house when I was 11 or 12 years old. I am 40 now and I can still see it very vividly in my mind's eye. I had left my watch at the "Deep Part", which is what we call the part of the creek we swam in. I had tried to get one of my brothers to go back with me and get my watch. Neither of them would go with me. I tried for about anther half hour or so to get them to go with me to get my watch none of them would go. So it was about 4:30 to 5:00 in the afternoon when I finally got the nerve to go get my watch. The bottom that lead down to the "Deep Part" is approxiamtely 100 to 125 yards long to the fenceline to the waterjole where we were swimming. I got to in front of the neighbor's which a little more than half to where the "deep Part" is at the fenceline. When I got to just infront of or just a little past their house, I saw a tall black figure, walking upright, walk along that fenceline. I saw it take 3 steps then my hair stood on end and I ran back to our house. I told my family and they said that I saw a deer. I am telling you guys this was no deer I saw it take 3 step, it was tall and it was dark colored. If I had to guess it was 7.5 to 8 feet tall and its stride was 6 to 7 feet long. Its elbow was right to the top of its hips but the hand didn't quite reach the knee.

OTHER WITNESSES: none

OTHER STORIES: Yes strange thing happened after I saw it. My aunt's horse was killed with a big chunk taken from a haunch and strange sounds were heard.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was between 3 to 5 int he afternoon

ENVIRONMENT: Woods

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Jack Smarr:

I interviewed the witness and he had the following things to add. As he encountered the figure upon returning to the swimming hole to retrieve his watch, he did not feel that it paid him any attention at all. It crossed his path diagonally at a distance of fifty yards. It was black and had long arms that did not quite reach the knee. No facial features could be discerned. The witness speculates that it might have been watching the boys swim and had later gone down to the swimming area to see what the boys had been up to. He tried to tell his family what he had encountered, but they told him that he probably just saw a deer. Even though this incident happened twenty years ago, it has imprinted itself in the man's memory as one of those moments you will never forget.

Maysville is on the Ohio River. The BFRO is currently investigating possible tracks found last year on a creek, less than two miles from this incident.

About BFRO Investigator Jack Smarr:

Jack Smarr is retired military and worked primarily in Field Artillery, Armored Cavalry and Armor units. He participated in TN 09,10,11,WV 2012 expeditions; and helped organize KY 2013 expedition. He organized the 2014 KY Daniel Boone Expedition, the 2015 Central Kentucky Expedition, the 2016 Carter Caves State Park Expedition, Northeastern Kentucky 2017, Kentucky 2018 and has conducted private expeditions in Eastern Kentucky and Southern Ohio.