YEAR: 2004

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: 3rd week

PROVINCE: British Columbia

COUNTRY: Canada

LOCATION DETAILS: I went fishing up at the kincolith hatchery stretch of the river.

NEAREST TOWN: Kincolith

NEAREST ROAD: bridge across the mouth of the river

OBSERVED: I went fishing one day at the hatchery above the "y" on the Kincolith River I saw something I thought was a person, then moments later a bear. I saw this thing below me, about 150 yards away. I was curious about what I saw because it seemed like a strange spot for somebody to be swimming. So I whistled and yelled out a greeting thinking that it was just a tourist or maybe one of my friends. I even waved my arms to catch their attention, but all that happened was whatever it was stood up and looked at me. When it stood up, I thought maybe it was a bear. The sun was to its back and the thing never responded - it just stood there looking at me. I waved my arms again thinking that the sun had played a trick on me and if I could get it to notice me, maybe they'd wave back if it was a person. Maybe it would leave if it was a bear. So I went to go fishing but kept an eye on the figure below me. It never responded and that bothered me.

It eventually went about it's own business as did I, but I kept watching it. It laid down in the water and just started splashing around like it was at play. About an hour passed and the thing was still there. Finally it made a move. It stood up and walked out of the water on two legs (it wasn't a bear). Not only did it walk out of the water like that but it walked away from my village which is right beside that part of the river.

The part of the river where I witnessed this thing was approximately 2.5 ft deep. When it stood up I would guess it stood around 6 ft on top of that. It was as much the size that confused me as it was the un-responsiveness and the direction of its final turn. It left me with more questions than answers.

ALSO NOTICED: Surveyers claim to find tracks. One night several people from different homes reported hearing strange sounds. This was in the fall of 2003, about two in the morning. They could hear it through the walls of their houses. so could I...

OTHER WITNESSES: not on that particular occasion.

OTHER STORIES: Kincolith River is actually a creek that is on the mouth of the Nass River in the Nisga'a Territories. The Nisga'a Territories are along the Alaska border in northern British Columbia, Canada. The stories are too many to mention but all come from people of strong moral stature.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: late afternoon, the sun was behind what I saw there was also heavy reflection off the water surface.

ENVIRONMENT: There are high levels of rain in this area, even for this province. Lots of pine, spruce, alder, and hemlock trees. This spot is fairly close to the mouth of Kincolith River.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Tom Yamarone:

I spoke with the witness by phone and have the following to add:

- He noticed the animal downriver from him as he arrived at the river to fish.
- He had his dog with him, but it never reacted to the presence of the creature.
- He sees grizzly bears every other day in this area, has hunted a grizzly, and was certain this was not a bear, especially when it exited the river walking on two feet.
- According to the witness, the animal was approx. 8 to 9 feet tall, of medium build and had very long arms, no neck and long legs.
- I asked him to describe the “splashing in the water” that it was doing. He said it was similar to a swimming breast stroke with the arms moving on either side of the body, but it remained in one place.
- The river is shallow and approx. 50 feet wide at the location of the sighting.
- Regarding the sound described in the "also noticed" section of his account, I can add these details. On that night a year ago the witness was out in the early morning hours and heard a very loud vocalization. He is familiar with the howl of a wolf and described what he heard as ½ howl and ½ scream and very loud. It was a “strange noise” that he had not heard before. As noted in his narrative, everyone in the village heard this noise. It was audible indoors, even over the sound of their TVs.