James Flynn, a rancher and experienced outdoorsman, ventured into the remote Florida Everglades on March 12, 1965. Accompanied by his hunting dogs, Flynn had planned a routine camping trip, prepared for several days in the swampy wilderness. Flynn was no stranger to the Everglades, having spent years navigating the treacherous terrain. His journey took him about 18 miles east of the Big Cypress Indian Reservation.

On the night of March 14, Flynn’s dogs picked up the scent of a deer and ran off. Concerned, Flynn set out in his swamp buggy to search for them. Around 1 a.m. on March 15, something unusual caught his attention. A bright light was hovering approximately 200 feet above the cypress trees, about a mile away. At first, Flynn assumed the light was a helicopter in distress, but its erratic movements soon dispelled that notion. The object would hover, move away, then return to the same location several times.

Intrigued, Flynn decided to take a closer look. Using his binoculars, he observed the object clearly for the first time. Shaped like an upside-down cone, the craft appeared to be about 25 feet tall, with a base that was twice as wide. Flynn noted its metallic exterior, constructed from panels seemingly riveted together. Around its upper section were four rows of square windows, each emitting a dull yellow glow. Below, a red-orange light illuminated the ground.

Determined to investigate, Flynn drove his buggy closer until he was about a quarter of a mile from the craft. He turned off the buggy’s engine and continued on foot, despite his dog’s growing agitation. The animal, locked in a cage on the buggy, began howling and scratching at the bars. Flynn, undeterred, approached the object. He waved toward the craft, hoping to elicit some response. But after several moments of silence, a beam of light suddenly shot from the underside of the object, hitting Flynn directly in the forehead and knocking him unconscious.