YEAR: 2014

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

STATE: California

COUNTY: Shasta County

NEAREST TOWN: Jones Valley Resort

NEAREST ROAD: None

OBSERVED: This happened back around 2014 although I didn't realize it until I read something about it.
I was on Shasta Lake riding my Sea Doo one last time before I sold it. I had headed up the Pit river sometime in July. It was approximately sometime after 2 PM. I had gone up quite a ways up toward the pot river and had decided to head back toward Jones Valley resort. I always love to scan the ridges looking for shapes like you do when you hunt. I came around a big turn in the main channel and it was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen. About 20 feet from shore I see what I initially believed to be a big hairy head with eyes staring directly at me. I would say within a couple seconds it simply disappeared under the surface of the water. I was wearing sunglasses and I remember thinking did I just see what I think I did? I gave it a wide girth and slowed down and circled the area for about 2-3 minutes. I remember feeling freaked out a bit having this vision of it lunging out of the water at me. Shortly after I continued back to Jones Valley resort and tried to put it out of my head. I wish now more than ever I would have taken the time to search for it but I just figured my initial thought had to be incorrect. I reasoned naturally it had to be something else. A beaver? Muskrat? I can't say for sure what it was but I know it was big. I do know my original feeling was it was a big hairy head and face with eyes. It had appeared to be wet already like it had already submerged previously. It was dark brown and tan in color. I know it was not a human. There were no boats anywhere near where I was and it was pretty secluded.

OTHER WITNESSES: Just me

OTHER STORIES: No

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Late afternoon

ENVIRONMENT: It was in the lake about 20 feet from shore

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Mike Poole:

After speaking with the witness over the phone I determined that he is a credible observer. The witness was on a personal water craft, traveling close to the shore on the Pit River arm of lake Shasta. He estimated his speed to be around 25 mph. At the time of the sighting he was several miles upstream from Jones Valley Resort. The water level was low and numerous snags (old trees that are usually submerged) were sticking up around the shore. As he rounded a point he noticed what looked like a head sticking up out of the water among the snags about 20 feet from the shore. He stated that the head was about the size of a football helmet, covered in long, wet, tan colored hair. He compared the color of the hair to a coyote.The face was flat, the mouth was not visible, the eyes were human shaped, large and dark. When he first spotted the "head" he was approximately 20 to 30 feet away from it. He locked eyes for a few seconds. It then ducked underwater as he rode by leaving a ripple in the calm surface. He continued on for about 30 seconds while he tried to process what he had just seen. By this time he had traveled about 300 yards and decided to turn back. He returned and slowly searched the area for any sign of the creature. He noted that there were no fresh "wet" tracks on the shore and saw no sign of the animal. After several minutes of searching he started to worry that the animal may still be around and that it might come out of the water and pull him off his PWC. At this point he decided to leave the area.

About BFRO Investigator Mike Poole:

Mike is a life long resident of Northern California and is an avid fisherman, hunter, and outdoors-man. He has attended the 2016, 2017 and 2018 California Sierras expeditions.