On October 28, 1976, in Lake View, South Carolina, Richard Britt and his 12-year-old son Richie encountered something that would leave them shaken. After returning home from a ball game around 10:30 PM, they observed an unusual light speeding across the woods in front of their home. Richard, feeling cold, decided to go inside while Richie remained on the porch, fascinated by the strange object that displayed green, red, and blue lights while revolving in different directions.

What happened next changed everything. The object suddenly descended toward their porch, hovering silently with a white glow. Richie described it as aluminum-colored and smooth, about the size of a large automobile. Through a window in the craft, he saw what he could only describe as a "thing" - a pale white creature with smooth skin, claw-like hands, dark eyes, and no discernible neck. His terror was so profound that when his father rushed outside upon hearing screams, Richie was unable to speak and fell into a state of uncontrollable shaking that required medical intervention. The following morning, investigators found an unusual 15 by 20-foot patch of grass without frost where the object had allegedly hovered.

Key Takeaways

A father and son in South Carolina encountered an unidentified flying object in 1976 that left the boy in a state of medical shock.
The 12-year-old boy reported seeing a pale, thin creature with claw-like hands looking at him from inside a metallic craft with colored lights.
Physical evidence discovered the next day included an unusual frost-free patch of grass where the object allegedly hovered.

The Disturbing Encounter

The Britt Family's Unexpected Sighting

On the evening of October 28, 1976, Richard Britt and his 12-year-old son Richie returned to their Lake View, South Carolina home around 10:30 PM after attending a late-season ball game and meeting. As they stood on their front porch, both noticed an unusual light moving rapidly across the woods in front of their home, traveling parallel to the ground and uncomfortably close to the treetops. Richard immediately ruled out conventional explanations like aircraft or meteors due to the object's unusual flight pattern and proximity to the trees.

The cold night air eventually drove Richard back inside the house for warmth. His son Richie, however, remained outside, captivated by the strange aerial phenomenon that had disappeared but soon reappeared in the night sky.

Richie's Horrifying Experience

While continuing his observation alone, Richie noticed the object had developed green, red, and light blue lights. He observed that the craft rotated counterclockwise when moving in one direction and clockwise when traveling another way. Without warning, the object suddenly changed course, descended toward him, and stopped near the front porch.

The colored lights extinguished, though the craft continued emitting a white glow as it hovered silently nearby. Richie later described feeling overcome with absolute terror when he realized something was watching him from inside the craft. His fear escalated to hysteria, prompting him to scream uncontrollably as he backed away.

Inside the house, Richard heard his son's terrified screams and rushed outside to find Richie in a state of panic. Despite Richard's questions, the boy couldn't articulate what had frightened him, repeatedly crying, "It was horrible! Don't let it get me!"

The Entity's Appearance and Aftermath

The next morning, after receiving medical attention and sedation, Richie finally described what he'd seen. The craft itself resembled a large automobile in size with a smooth, aluminum-colored exterior. Along its lower portion were triangular windows, with one larger window positioned on the upper section.

Richie provided this description of the entity he observed inside the window:

Physical characteristics:

Pale white with smooth, unwrinkled skin
Thin body with head that seemed to melt into it without a neck
Two dark eyes with no other visible facial features
Claw-like hands at the ends of its arms

The encounter left profound effects on the boy. Dr. James Tui, who treated Richie that night, confirmed the boy's hysteria was genuine, noting his "emotions were uncontrollable." Police Officer Kermit Page investigated but found nothing unusual that night.

The following morning, Richard discovered a curious patch measuring approximately 15 by 20 feet where his son had seen the craft hovering. Despite heavy frost covering the surrounding area, this specific spot contained no frost, though the grass was still wet with dew. Additionally, Richard recalled hearing their dog howling unusually just before Richie's screams—behavior the animal had never displayed before or since the incident.

The family's pastor, Reverend John Wilkinson, interviewed Richie extensively and concluded that while the experience could have been a hallucination, to Richie "it was all a reality." The boy remained reluctant to discuss the encounter further, preferring to put the terrifying experience behind him.

What Happened After the Encounter

The Initial Response and Seeking Medical Attention

Richard Brit rushed outside after hearing his son's terrified screams, finding Richie on the porch in a state of extreme fear. Despite Richard's questions, Richie was unable to explain what had frightened him, repeatedly crying out, "It was horrible! Don't let it get me!" Once inside the house, Richie's condition deteriorated as he began shaking uncontrollably. Deeply concerned by his son's behavior, Richard immediately called for a doctor to come to their home.

The boy appeared to be in a trance-like state, his fear so overwhelming that he couldn't communicate what had happened. The doctor who arrived at the Brit home recognized the severity of Richie's distress and transported him to his office for proper examination.

Richie's State of Extreme Distress

The doctor administered a sedative to calm the severely agitated boy, allowing him to finally sleep through the night. Richie's terror was so genuine that Dr. James Tui, who had coincidentally seen him earlier that same day appearing completely normal, stated firmly, "I don't think he was faking the hysteria." During his examination, the doctor observed that Richie's "emotions were uncontrollable."

Richie's mother later commented to reporters, "A lot of people said that if it hadn't happened to Richie, I wouldn't have believed it." The boy himself admitted he had never experienced such intense fear in his life. Notably, he clarified that it wasn't the object itself that had terrified him but specifically "the creature" he had seen inside it.

Professional Intervention and Investigation

Both medical and law enforcement professionals became involved following the incident. Lake View police officer Kermit Page responded to the call that night, confirming Richie's hysterical state though uncertain about what had actually occurred. He filed an official report after searching the area but found nothing unusual at the time.

The following day, several additional investigations took place:

Reverend John Wilkinson, Richie's pastor, visited the family and interviewed the boy extensively
The pastor conducted a thorough search of the woods in front of the Brit home
Richard discovered an unusual 15 by 20-foot patch of grass in front of their home that remained frost-free while surrounding areas were covered in white frost

Reverend Wilkinson noted that while the boy appeared reluctant to discuss the experience further, the incident didn't seem to have caused any permanent psychological damage. The pastor also emphasized that he did not believe the family was seeking attention through this incident.

Public and Professional Reactions

Mrs. Britt's Perspective

Mrs. Britt expressed profound concern about her son Richie's traumatic experience on that October night in 1976. "If this hadn't happened to Richie specifically, I wouldn't have believed it," she admitted to the Morning News reporter. Her statement reflects the credibility she placed in her son's character despite the extraordinary nature of his claims. She noted the extreme level of fear that overcame her son—something she had never witnessed before in him.

Dr. James Tui's Medical Evaluation

Dr. Tui, who treated Richie immediately following the incident, confirmed the boy's state was genuinely concerning. "He was hysterical," the doctor stated firmly. Having seen Richie earlier that same day at a local gas station where the boy appeared completely normal, Dr. Tui was particularly struck by the dramatic change in his condition. He emphasized that Richie's "emotions were uncontrollable" during examination, and while uncertain about what the boy had actually seen, Dr. Tui was convinced: "I don't think he was faking the hysteria."

Officer Kermit Paige's Official Response

Lake View police officer Kermit Paige responded to the call at the Britt home that night and documented the incident. His report confirmed Richie's extremely distressed condition, describing him as "hysterical." Despite filing an official report, Officer Paige remained neutral about the cause, stating simply, "What he saw, I don't know." His investigation of the surrounding area revealed no unusual sights or sounds that might explain the boy's terror. The officer's account provides important third-party verification of Richie's emotional state without speculation about its cause.

Reverend John Wilkinson's Investigation

Following the incident, Reverend Wilkinson visited the Britt home to speak with the family. After extensive questioning, he concluded: "Although what happened could have been a hallucination or a reality, to Richie it was all a reality." The reverend noted that Richie appeared reluctant to discuss the experience further and seemed eager to put it behind him. After his interview with the boy, Reverend Wilkinson conducted a thorough search of the wooded area in front of the Britt home but found no physical evidence to support the boy's account. Importantly, he emphasized that neither Richie nor his family appeared to be seeking attention through this incident.

Further Discoveries and Observations

Absence of Frost in the Hover Zone

The morning after the incident, Richard Brit noticed something unusual when he went outside to warm up his wife's car. Despite a heavy frost covering most of the yard, there was a distinct area measuring approximately 15 by 20 feet where no frost had formed at all. This frost-free zone corresponded exactly with the location where Richie had reported seeing the unidentified craft hovering the previous night.

Richard found this particularly strange, noting that while the grass in this area still had dew on it, the surrounding lawn was covered in frost "almost white as snow." This physical anomaly offered a potentially tangible piece of evidence supporting Richie's account. Unfortunately, no photographs were taken of this peculiar patch of grass, and no scientific measurements or samples were collected from the site.

The Dog's Unusual Reaction

Just moments before Richie's terrified screams, Richard recalled hearing their dog howling outside the house. This behavior stood out as highly unusual, as Richard noted the dog rarely howled and did not do so again after that night.

The timing of the dog's distressed howling coincided precisely with when Richie reported the object descending toward their front porch. The howling stopped only when it was drowned out by Richie's screams—which occurred when he allegedly spotted the entity in the craft's window.

This reaction from the family pet suggests an external stimulus was present that disturbed the animal. Many UFO researchers point to animal reactions as potential corroborating evidence in sighting cases, as animals often display heightened sensitivity to unusual phenomena.

Richard Britt's Observations and Experiences

Analyzing the Canine's Reaction

Richard Britt noted several unusual occurrences during the incident on October 28, 1976. He distinctly remembered hearing their dog howling outside shortly before his son Richie's screams of terror. This behavior stood out to him because their dog rarely howled. The timing seemed significant—just as the unidentified object reportedly descended toward their front porch.

The howling stopped abruptly when Richie began screaming. Richard later connected these events, reasonably concluding that the dog had likely reacted to the same stimulus that frightened his son. This animal behavior provided an independent confirmation that something unusual had occurred outside their South Carolina home that night.

Missing Documentation of the Frost-Free Area

The morning after the incident, Richard discovered something peculiar while warming up his wife's car. He observed a clearly defined area of grass, approximately 15 by 20 feet in size, completely devoid of frost. This frost-free patch stood out starkly against the surrounding white-frosted lawn, though the anomalous area still contained dew.

Richard found this peculiarity striking because it corresponded exactly to the location where Richie had reported seeing the hovering object. Unfortunately, Richard did not photograph this unusual evidence. The lack of photographic documentation meant this potentially important physical trace couldn't be properly analyzed or verified by investigators. Despite officer Paige and Reverend Wilkinson searching the area, this temporary frost pattern remained the only physical anomaly connected to the incident.

This frost-free zone represented the sole physical trace potentially linked to the object that had so terrified his 12-year-old son the previous night.

Terrifying UFO Encounter: The Richie Britt Case - Unexplained 1976 South Carolina Incident