YEAR: 2012

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: December

DATE: 8th

STATE: Florida

COUNTY: Nassau County

LOCATION DETAILS: I have found the location on google earth, we were at 30degrees 42'18.54" N 82 degrees 02'16.20"W elevation 11ft

NEAREST TOWN: Folkston, GA

NEAREST ROAD: US HWY 1

OBSERVED: A friend and I decided to go boating one Saturday morning and went to Scotts landing in Nassau County, Florida on the St Marys River. We rented a boat and headed west up the St Marys River into Georgia. We traveled west about 15 miles where we went around a bend and our motor must have hit something in the water and shut off. We drifted to the bank on the Georgia side of the river where we tried to start the boat with no success. This was about 3:30 pm with about 3 hours of light left as it is getting dark about 6pm. There was a fishing camp on the Florida side of the river with no one there so we paddled over to that side where we settled in and built a campfire to spend the night as our phones had no service. We settled by the fire and talked and had a good time. Around 12:30AM we began to hear something moving thru the woods from far off. We could tell it was moving towards us because the breaking branches and snapping twigs and crunching leaves were getting louder. When it got down to the rivers edge across from us we heard grunting and growling as well as stomping on the ground that was extremely loud and a deep base thud. I got up and walked down to the rivers edge and started shining the opposite bank. As I was shining I could hear something moving thru the brush towards me. As it got directly across from me I saw it thru the brush and could see a shoulder and head moving left straight across from me. I could see it moving for about 5 to 6 feet before it came to a tree where it stepped out from behind the tree and looked directly at me. I shined the light in its face and saw two red eyes and a head and right shoulder. When the light hit it in the face it turned its head back to the direction it came from and took off back that way. It seemed mad cuz it started stomping and growling and breaking limbs again. It continued to raise hell for another hour to hour and a half before it went quiet. Of course we did not sleep that night and at the first light we got in the boat and started rowing towards home and made it about 5 miles where we were picked up by the Nassau County police boat and towed another 10 1/2 miles back to Scotts Landing. It was a truly amazing experience for me, my buddy however didn't agree with me. He said he was frozen with fear and will never return there. I myself would love to return and search for the creature.

ALSO NOTICED: Tthe most noteable things other than looking it in the eyes were the tree knocking, growling and stomping.The stomping amazed me because of how loud it was.

OTHER WITNESSES: There was one other witness which was my buddy that was with me. He heard all the noise but said he was frozen with fear and couldn't get up to walk down to the river and look for what was making the sounds.

OTHER STORIES: Yes a friend of mine and his buddy were walking thru the woods on the St Marys a couple miles from where we were stranded and had a large creature jump out of the woods behind them. He said the sound of the creature was so loud that they could tell it was very heavy and they ran away as quick as possible. They noted the creature did give chase for a short time.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It began around 12:30am and lasted until about 1:30 to 1:45am

ENVIRONMENT: Extremely pitch dark with very thick trees with thick underbrush.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Karen Nolan:

I interviewed C.G. by telephone for over 45 minutes. He related the details of his experience and seemed very sincere and credible. C.G. and his friend rented a boat and traveled down the St. Marys River. The St Marys River is a remote blackwater stream that runs from its source in the Okefenokee Swamp to the Atlantic Ocean. It forms the easternmost boundary between Florida and Georgia. The majority of the land surrounding the river is privately owned and is lined with small fishing camps. There is dense forest lining the river. There is an area of homes on the Florida side of the river close to the sighting area. This would not have been visible due to the density of brush and trees lining the river. The terrain surrounding the river has open land interspersed with forested areas with the less densely populated area on the Georgia side of the river.

Google Earth images of the location and the river:





C.G. and his friend were stranded on the Florida side of the river and the figure sighted was on the opposite bank. It was very dark when the figure was seen. The moon was at 33%. C.G. estimated the size at seven to eight feet tall. He recalls the depth of the growls to be amazingly deep. The distance across the river was approximately thirty feet. He stated he could feel the force of the figure stomping the ground from the opposite bank. Many objects were thrown into the river but never thrown directly at the two men. C.G.'s friend was very frightened and stayed away from the river bank. C.G. has not returned to the area due to the difficulty in accessing the location. We will remain in contact and when possible, return to the sighting location.

About BFRO Investigator Karen Nolan:

Karen Nolan is married with three children. She works in a local hospital as an X-Ray Technologist and she and her family own a military surplus store. Karen and her husband take extended motorcycle trips each summer camping at National and State Parks along the way. She has attended the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Florida and 2013 Alabama Expeditions as well as several private expeditions. Please follow us on the Florida BFRO website.