YEAR: 2002

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

PROVINCE: British Columbia

COUNTRY: Canada

LOCATION DETAILS: Batnuni Lake west end forestry campsite

NEAREST TOWN: Nazko B.C.

NEAREST ROAD: Batnuni forest service road

OBSERVED: Our family had gone camping to our favorite lake again for about the 4th time that summer, and the weather was clear and great. After a long day fishing and boating, I put our 2 year old to bed in our motorhome at about 8 pm.

We had a roaring fire going. Just before 10 pm my husband went into the motor home to put our 5 year old to bed. She wanted him to lay down with her until she went to sleep, so our 2 dogs and I stayed outside and enjoyed the peace and quiet and the warmth of the fire while waiting for my husband to come back out and join us.

Our dogs were laying at my feet by the fire when our Rottweiler started to growl and bark at the lake. I had my back to the lake and told the dogs (by this time our pug was giving it her best shot at barking and growling too) to can it so they wouldn't wake the kids. I honestly thought the dogs were just being silly.Then all of a sudden a HUGE splash was made in the lake which scared the dogs into another round of barking and me to say "Very funny Dean (my husband) but you aren't scaring me". I thought Dean had come out of the motorhome on the side opposite of me and snuck off to throw big rocks over the bank into the water to scare me and the dogs for a practical joke. After the 3rd big rock hit the lake, and the dogs no longer barking but rather with their hair standing up on their backs and growling and acting very frightened, I was getting mad. Their is no mistaking the sound of big boulders going over the bank into the water... that hollow Kersploosh sound.

I got up to go and get the flash light to shine on Dean and let him know that the jig was up. The dogs both came step for step with me to the motorhome and both tried to get in the motorhome because they were scared.

We keep the flashlight in the top cupboard just inside the door along with our linens. I didn't want to turn on any lights to wake the kids so I was fumbling around in the linens trying to feel the flashlight when of course a stack of towels and sheets fell onto the bed below. Waking up Dean, I started to cry and tell him,that there was something outside that up until this second I thought was him pitching big rocks into the lake. He got up in a hurry and I let the dogs in the motor home with me. He also heard 2 big splashes while we were both in the motorhome.

We went and checked it out but didn't see anything or hear anymore noise after Dean put on the flashlight. The dogs wouldn't come back out and we went to bed right away because I was so spooked. Hardly slept a wink and neither did the dogs.

We camp often all year round and have never had the dogs so scared or heard anything like it before or since no matter what lake or river we go to. Neither of us are thrill seekers and have talked it over between ourselves numerous times,and can only think that what ever was throwing the BIG boulders into the lake from that high up and to get them that far out into the lake had to be big and very very strong. We 've heard fish jump beavers slap and moose and deer and bear in and at the water, and nothing comes close.

ALSO NOTICED: The night before the dogs were growling under their breath all night. It was a very "sleepless" weekend because the dogs were growly and barky all weekend, and terrified to go even 10 feet away from our motorhome even in the daylight. Never before or since have they been that way, even when bears wander right into camp.

OTHER WITNESSES: My husband and he was sound asleep in our motor home with the children prior to me waking him up.

OTHER STORIES: no.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: approx. 10 pm

ENVIRONMENT: Pine forest sloping down to small one lane dirt road clearing to a small meadow type campsite and then sloping sharply down to the lake shore