YEAR: 1979

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: January

STATE: Pennsylvania

COUNTY: Cambria County

LOCATION DETAILS: It was on the Semelsburgers farm, just outside of Patton.

NEAREST TOWN: Patton, Pennsylvania

NEAREST ROAD: It was called RD2

OBSERVED: In January of 1979, I was visiting some friends at their farm in Cambria County, just outside of Patton, Pennsylvania. They had recently had one of their beef cattle butchered and I was helping wrap the meat. Their farm was at the top of a ridge, and could only be reached via a gravel and dirt lane winding through the woods approximately 1/2 mile.

My mother had told me if I wanted a ride home I was to meet her at the bottom of their lane at 7pm, as she would be returning from town. (unless you had a 4 wheel drive you could not make it up their lane with snow and ice).

I had dallied around and stayed too long to meet my mother, It was about 9:30pm and my friends father asked me if I wanted a ride to my uncles house (where we were staying). My friends were making fun at me for needing a ride home, so I turned it down.

I had walked home at night numerous times during both winter and summer. They gave me a nap sack to put a few steaks in for my help, and a large metal flashlight (which I would not really need as there was snow on the ground, and a full moon that night).

As I left their house I was aware of a very strange odor in the air (like stale armpits or dirty socks), but figured it was something from their coal furnace. I started down the lane when I felt a very real feeling that someone was watching me, and the hairs of my neck stood on end.

I looked up toward their farmhouse and approximately 80 to 100 yards away, standing on the raised edge of their pond was a huge, dark, hairy animal. As I turned to look at it, it did not move. As soon as my eyes focussed on it I knew right away that it too was looking at me.

I know this sounds very strange, but even though it was far away, it was as if we were staring at each other from across a room. I did not react with thinking, as I was scared out of my mind. I did make a decision (why I do not know) to run down the lane and try to get some distance between myself and it.

As I ran down the lane I began hearing crashing sounds coming from an old logging road approximately 200 feet into the woods to my left. While I ran the noise kept pace with me, and when I fell on some ice I was sure it would overtake me.

By the time I got to the end of their lane I was not aware of any more noises and never lost pace as I ran the next 3/4 mile up the asphalt road to my uncles house. I beat on the door and when it opened I collapsed inside, and passed out. My Uncle and Aunt asked me what was wrong, and I was too afraid to tell them out of fear of being ridiculed.

Years later after watching an episode of "In Search Of" I saw the Patterson BigFoot film, and ABSOLUTELEY KNEW that was the same creature I saw that night years earlier. I have to say that I know what I saw, and I did not see a man, black bear, or deer.

When I made eye contact with this thing, I knew it was a thinking, contemplating being, and not just a wild animal. I was raised in the country, and I have seen all of these animals both at night and day.

To this day I will not go into the woods near there after dark, whether I am in a vehicle or not!

Strange or not I can count on one hand (without using my thumb) the number of people I have told this story to.

ALSO NOTICED: A weird odor, like armpits or dirty feet

OTHER WITNESSES: Just myself

OTHER STORIES: A few years later my cousin told a story about some friends seeing a "1/2 wolf 1/2 monkey" at night while driving near Prince Gallitzin State Park.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: approximately 9:30pm, snow covered ground, and a full moon.

ENVIRONMENT: Top of a ridge on the hump of a large pond that backed up to woods.

Follow-up investigation report:

Upon further inquiry, the witness added the following information:

"I would say about 8 feet in height ...this thing was HUGE...it was extremely broad shouldered and the "elbows" seemed to be at mid-thigh, long thick arms the thighs & hips/rear of the animal seemed very prominent."

"It would have had to weigh 400 lbs. Its neck was virtually nonexistent."

"I guess I knew it was hairy because of the texture and the length of its arm hair...probably 12 inches in length above the elbows."

"It was a full moon, however I could only guess about it being "dark" colored."

"Also its face had hair around the cheekbones."

"Even though it was so far away it was pretty clear and bright with the snow and a full moon."

"It didnt look at me like a deer would, more like it was waiting for my reaction to determine its. I almost got the impression it was going to "say" something."

"I can say that you would have to have seen this thing to know why I knew it wasn't just another one of nature's "programmed" animals."

"I had very sharp eyesight at that time, and I was used to stalking deer and other game animals."

"I have always wondered what it would have done if it had caught me?....or actually why it chose not to catch me...no doubt it could have easily caught me."

"I wish I would have told someone back then...It had to have left some very good prints!"

"I have read many other reports, and I can tell you I WAS scared and still TO THIS DAY am scared over this thing."

"Obviously these things must be relatively docile, because there is no doubt in my mind that it was big enough to have carried me off or hurt me."

"I understand about having a weapon with you, and not even thinking about using it....I really dont think I would shoot one. Why?......It was so "human like" in the way it made eye contact with me...and yes you can make eye contact at 100 yards."

• Explanation of the report classification system
• Submit a report for the sightings database
• Please send any comments or inquiries to ContactUs@BFRO.net