The Crystal Beach UFO Encounter of 1967: Missing Time Phenomenon
In July 1967, a group of eleven young people experienced an extraordinary encounter at Crystal Beach, Texas. What began as a carefree day at an almost deserted beach transformed into an inexplicable event that would challenge their understanding of reality. As darkness fell, seven of the group remained, driving along the shoreline in a Chevy while enjoying music on the radio.
The peaceful evening took a dramatic turn when they spotted what initially appeared to be a speedboat approaching at high speed. This object, which changed colors from silver to amber, pursued their vehicle even after they left the beach. The craft hovered behind them, displaying rotating colored lights across its two-decked structure with a dome top. After their car mysteriously lost power and then restarted, the group discovered that three hours had inexplicably vanished during what felt like a brief encounter. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere, such as a 1970 case in Alberta where a chiropractor and his horse had a disturbing experience with an unidentified object emitting light.
Key Takeaways
Unexplained aerial phenomena often involve vehicle electrical interference and time distortion, as experienced by the Crystal Beach witnesses.
Animals frequently detect and react strongly to unusual aerial objects before humans become aware of their presence.
Unidentified craft typically display distinctive features such as color-changing capabilities, unusual lighting patterns, and remarkable speed or movement characteristics.
Crystal Beach Encounter
In mid-July 1967, a 19-year-old woman and ten companions aged 8-19 enjoyed a nearly deserted Crystal Beach in Texas. The cloudy day provided them unexpected privacy to enjoy the beach without restraint.
After spending the afternoon together, the group split up at dusk. Four members departed for Galveston to go dancing, while the remaining seven piled into a recently purchased Chevy. They drove leisurely along the shoreline with music playing from the radio as sunset approached. Two girls sat on the hood feeling the breeze while watching the waves.
As darkness fell around 9 PM, something caught the young woman's attention offshore. What initially appeared to be a silvery speedboat rapidly approaching soon changed to an amber color. The object moved with alarming speed directly toward their vehicle, prompting her to warn the others.
The driver stopped the car, and she urged the girls on the hood to get inside. They quickly retreated through a dirt road connecting the beach to the main road. From her passenger-side window, she watched in astonishment as the object rapidly closed the distance behind them, changing colors as it approached.
The situation intensified when:
The car radio suddenly went silent
The object appeared directly behind their vehicle
Everyone recognized it wasn't conventional aircraft
The passengers, mostly children, became hysterical
The driver pulled over after discovering the ignition key was locked and the headlights had failed. They rolled up the windows and locked the doors as the craft hovered directly behind them, clearly visible through the rear window.
The witness described the craft's detailed structure:
Two main decks with a dome on top
Portholes on all three levels
A wide rim between decks featuring rotating colored panels
Translucent, globe-like appearance
Rectangular panels emitting pulsating green, bluish-white, and orange lights
Visible rivets at deck joints
The woman noticed herself becoming mesmerized by the rotating lights and warned everyone not to look at them. Immediately after this warning, the car mysteriously restarted. As they drove away, the craft continued following until they reached the turnoff toward I-10 East, where it suddenly tilted and disappeared in a streak.
When their radio resumed functioning, the announcer stated it was midnight—revealing an unexplained three-hour time loss. Though initially agreeing to report the incident, they feared being labeled as unstable. The witness eventually shared her experience years later with the National UFO Reporting Center.
Observed UFO Characteristics
Physical Appearance and Color Variations
The unidentified craft initially appeared silver in color before transitioning to amber. As the encounter progressed, the object demonstrated remarkable color-changing properties. It had a translucent, globe-like appearance that seemed to emit light. The craft's surface exhibited a bluish-steel or silvery-blue coloration, with a material that resembled plastic or fiberglass. During close observation, witnesses noted that the object's colors would intensify and then fade back to pale hues in a pulsating pattern.
Construction and Design Elements
The craft displayed a distinctive three-tiered structure consisting of two main decks with a dome positioned on top. All three levels featured portholes arranged around their centers. Between the two large decks ran a wide rim containing panels of colored lights. Notable structural details included rivets visible at the deck joints. The underside appeared slightly oval in shape and contained two circular, vent-like structures resembling the bottom of a mushroom. These circular elements rotated in opposite directions, with the rotation clearly visible to observers. The porthole glass appeared thick and dull, with what looked like crusted material around their edges.
Illumination Systems and Visual Effects
The craft utilized an elaborate lighting system with rectangular panels displaying green, bluish-white, and orange lights. These illuminated panels rotated constantly around the craft's perimeter. The colors exhibited a pulsating quality, shifting between pale and vivid intensities as they moved. Witnesses reported feeling a hypnotic effect when watching these rotating lights, suggesting a potential psychological influence. When departing, the craft tilted and left a visible streak across the night sky - an unusual visual phenomenon. The object's presence also interfered with electronic equipment, causing car radios to stop functioning and vehicle electrical systems to temporarily fail.
Response to the Eerie Encounter
Initial Recognition and Reactions
In mid-July 1967, a 19-year-old woman and six others were enjoying a leisurely drive along Crystal Beach in Texas after spending the day there. Two girls sat on the hood while the rest rode inside, listening to music and watching the waves as the sun set. Suddenly, the woman noticed what appeared to be a silver speedboat moving rapidly toward shore. As the object approached, its color shifted to amber.
The group quickly realized this was no ordinary vessel - it was moving too fast and heading directly toward them. Alarmed, the driver stopped the car. "Get in the car," the woman told the girls on the hood. The driver then steered onto one of the dirt roads connecting the beach to the main road.
Looking back through her open window, the woman was startled to see the object closing in rapidly, changing colors as it pursued them. By the time they reached the main road, the mysterious craft had caught up with them.
Vehicle Power Disruption
The radio suddenly went silent as the object followed close behind. The passengers, mostly children, became increasingly hysterical as they recognized they were being pursued by what appeared to be a UFO - something their government claimed didn't exist.
The driver unexpectedly pulled over and stopped the car. When questioned about this dangerous decision, he silently demonstrated that the ignition key was locked in place. The car lights had also failed. "The craft has taken the car's power," they explained to the frightened children. As a precaution, they rolled up the windows and locked the doors.
The hovering craft remained visible through the rear window, suspended low in the air. It had a distinctive structure:
Two main decks
A dome on top
Portholes on all three levels
A wide rim between decks containing panels of colored lights
Rivets visible at the deck joints
Hypnotic Influence of Lights
The mysterious object displayed rectangular panels of rotating colored lights - green, bluish-white, and orange. These lights continuously circled the craft in a mesmerizing pattern, pulsating between vivid and pale intensities. The craft itself had a translucent, globe-like appearance.
The woman observed that the glass in the portholes appeared thick and dull, with what seemed like crusted edges. While trying to maintain calm among the children, she realized the rotating lights were having a hypnotic effect on her. "Don't watch the colored lights," she warned the others, forcing herself to look away.
Immediately after this warning, the car mysteriously restarted. The driver accelerated quickly, with the craft continuing to follow them. When they reached the turnoff toward civilization and I-10 East, the craft suddenly veered right, tilted, and vanished in a streak of light.
When the radio resumed functioning, they were shocked to hear the DJ announce it was midnight - indicating they had lost three hours of time. What had seemed like a 30-minute encounter had apparently lasted much longer. Though initially hesitant to report their experience for fear of ridicule, the woman eventually shared her account with the National UFO Reporting Center many years later.
Departure of the UFO
The UFO followed the vehicle closely as it raced down the main road. Inside the car, passengers were becoming increasingly frightened by the unidentified craft pursuing them. The flying saucer maintained a consistent distance, its colored panels rotating and pulsating with green, bluish-white, and orange lights.
The witness observed that the craft had two main decks with a dome on top, all featuring portholes. A wide rim between the decks contained the rectangular light panels that continuously rotated around the craft. The object appeared translucent and globe-like, with visible rivets at the deck joints.
While attempting to keep the younger passengers calm, the witness realized the rotating lights seemed to have a hypnotic effect. After warning others not to stare at the lights, the car's electrical systems mysteriously reactivated. The driver immediately accelerated down the road with the craft still in pursuit.
The UFO continued following them until they reached the turnoff toward civilization and Interstate 10 East. At this point, the craft made a sudden departure, veering sharply to the right. The top portion of the craft tilted before it vanished, leaving only a streak in the night sky.
When the car radio came back on, the group was shocked to hear the DJ announce it was midnight - revealing they had inexplicably lost three hours of time. What had seemed like a brief 30-minute encounter had actually spanned much longer. Though initially hesitant to report their experience for fear of ridicule, the witness eventually shared their account with the National UFO Reporting Center many years later.
Time Discrepancy and Radio Signal Return
In mid-July 1967, a group of eleven people between 8 and 19 years old spent a day at Crystal Beach in Texas. As evening approached, four members left for Galveston while seven remained, including a 19-year-old female who would later report the incident. The remaining group drove along the beach in a newly purchased Chevy with music playing on the radio.
As darkness fell, they spotted what initially appeared to be a silver speedboat approaching land. The object soon turned amber and moved at an alarming speed directly toward them. Recognizing the danger, the driver stopped the car, and two girls sitting on the hood quickly got inside before they drove toward the main road.
The object rapidly caught up to them as they turned onto the main road. At this moment, the radio abruptly went silent. The object, now clearly visible, followed closely behind their vehicle. Inside the car, panic arose as everyone recognized they were being pursued by what appeared to be a flying saucer.
The situation intensified when the driver pulled over, explaining that the ignition key was locked and the car lights had failed. The craft hovered directly behind them, low to the ground and clearly visible through the rear window.
Craft Description:
Two decks with a dome on top
Portholes visible on all three levels
Wide rim between decks containing panels of colored lights
Translucent, globe-like appearance
Rectangular panels with pulsating green, bluish-white, and orange lights
Rivets visible at deck joints
The witness noticed the rotating colored lights had a hypnotic effect and warned everyone not to stare at them. Moments after this warning, the car mysteriously restarted. They immediately drove away with the craft still in pursuit until they reached a turnoff toward civilization and I-10 East, at which point the craft tilted and vanished, leaving only a streak in the night sky.
When the radio resumed functioning, the DJ announced it was midnight—revealing that three hours had passed, though the encounter seemed to have lasted less than 30 minutes. Despite their initial intention to report the incident, fear of ridicule kept them silent until many years later when the witness finally reported the experience to Peter Davenport's National UFO Reporting Center.
In a similar case from August 1970, a Calgary chiropractor riding his horse on the Scarcity Indian Reserve encountered a strange cloud-like object. His horse became extremely agitated before he noticed what appeared to be a craft emerging from the cloud. The object had a bluish-steel color with two circular, counter-rotating vent-like structures on its underside. These cases suggest animals may detect these phenomena before humans can perceive them.
Aftermath and Reporting
Following their encounter, the group initially chose not to report the incident, fearing they would be labeled as "crazy." The most alarming aspect of their experience was the discovery of missing time—what seemed like a 30-minute event actually spanned three hours, confirmed when the car radio suddenly reactivated with the DJ announcing midnight. This time discrepancy startled all seven passengers.
The primary witness, who had been 19 years old during the 1967 incident, eventually decided to document her experience. Many years after the event occurred, she submitted a formal report to Peter Davenport's National UFO Reporting Center, breaking her long silence about what happened that July evening on Crystal Beach.
This case shares similarities with other documented UFO encounters involving vehicles. Common effects include:
Electrical interference (radio cutout, engine failure)
Light phenomena (color changes, pulsating panels)
Missing time
Mechanical control issues (key locked in ignition)
Animal reactions to UFOs have also been extensively documented. Bill Allen, a UFO investigator in Alberta during the late 1960s and early 1970s, recorded numerous cases including one involving a Calgary chiropractor whose horse became severely distressed during an August 1970 encounter. The animal exhibited extreme nervousness and became violently uncontrollable shortly before a blue-silver craft appeared. Animals often detect these phenomena before humans, possibly responding to sounds beyond human hearing range.
The physical and psychological impacts on witnesses remain a consistent pattern across reported cases, with many choosing silence for years before finally sharing their experiences.
UFO Encounters and Animal Responses
Animal Premonitions Before UFO Sightings
Animals often display heightened sensitivity to UFO phenomena, frequently reacting before humans notice anything unusual. This suggests they may detect frequencies outside human hearing range or possess some natural awareness of approaching anomalies. In many documented cases, animals exhibit clear signs of distress, becoming alert and agitated without any visible cause.
During a 1970 incident in Alberta, a Calgary chiropractor experienced this firsthand while horseback riding. His mare suddenly became extremely alert and stiff, then began passing manure—a telltale sign of equine anxiety. The doctor recognized these as nervous behaviors occurring moments before he himself observed anything unusual in the environment.
Wildlife Disturbances During UFO Encounters
When UFOs appear, animal reactions typically fall into two distinct patterns:
Frantic activity - animals become uncontrollable, attempting to flee
Complete stillness - animals freeze, creating an unnatural silence
In the Alberta case, the horse progressed from initial alertness to violent, unmanageable behavior, "turning and twisting wildly" as a strange cloud-like object approximately 70 feet across appeared. The doctor struggled to control his mount while trapped between a river on one side and a barbed wire fence on the other.
A 1967 Texas beach incident highlights another pattern in these encounters—technology disruption alongside animal awareness. When a UFO approached seven witnesses in their Chevy, they experienced:
Radio malfunction
Car power failure
Ignition lock
Headlight shutdown
The craft, described as having two decks with a domed top and rotating colored light panels, hovered nearby for what seemed like minutes but resulted in a three-hour time discrepancy for all witnesses.
These cases align with numerous reports worldwide where livestock injuries and deaths have been associated with UFO sightings. The precise reason for this apparent interest in Earth's animals remains unknown, though the consistency of animal reactions suggests they serve as natural early warning systems for these anomalous encounters.
Bill Allen's UFO Research Contributions
Canadian UFO Investigations in Alberta
Bill Allen served as a UFO investigator in Alberta, Canada during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Throughout this period, he documented numerous unusual sighting reports and alleged alien contact cases. His methodical approach to investigation included conducting recorded interviews with witnesses, carefully preserving their testimonies for further analysis. Allen's work appeared regularly in the Canadian UFO Report newsletter, where he shared detailed accounts of unexplained aerial phenomena.
Notable Cases from Allen's Research
One particularly compelling case from Allen's files appeared in the spring 1971 issue of the Canadian UFO Report. This incident involved a Calgary chiropractor who had a disturbing encounter in August 1970. While riding his horse on the Scarcity Indian Reserve west of Calgary around 8 PM, the doctor noticed his mare becoming unusually alert and nervous.
The animal's behavior quickly escalated from alertness to extreme agitation, turning and twisting violently. The doctor found himself in a precarious situation, with the river on one side and trees with a barbed wire fence on the other. As he attempted to control his horse, he observed what initially appeared to be an unusual "low-flying cloud" approximately 70 feet across.
The situation intensified when a solid object emerged from this cloud-like formation. According to the doctor's description to Allen, the craft had these characteristics:
Material appearance: Similar to plastic or fiberglass
Color: Bluish steel or silvery blue
Shape: Slightly oval underneath
Notable features: Two circular, vent-like structures on the bottom
Movement: The circular structures rotated in opposite directions
This encounter left both the doctor deeply shaken and his horse seriously ill. The case exemplifies how animals often react strongly to UFO phenomena, sometimes detecting the presence of unusual objects before humans do. This particular incident supports observations that livestock and pets frequently exhibit extreme nervousness, frenzied behavior, or unnatural stillness during close UFO encounters.
Calgary Chiropractor's Unusual Aerial Encounter
Strange Animal Behavior Before Sighting
In late August 1970, around 8:00 PM, a Calgary chiropractor was riding his horse along a river trail on the Stoney Indian Reserve west of Calgary. The evening was clear with stars beginning to appear when the doctor noticed his mare suddenly becoming unusually alert and stiff. The horse began passing manure, which the rider recognized as a sign of extreme nervousness.
Within moments, the animal's behavior escalated dramatically. The horse became violently agitated—twisting and turning wildly, becoming nearly impossible to control. The doctor found himself in a precarious situation, with the river on his left and trees with a barbed wire fence on his right, creating a dangerous corridor for both himself and his increasingly distressed animal.
Detailed Observation of the Aerial Object
As the chiropractor attempted to dismount and calm his horse, he noticed what initially appeared to be an unusual low-flying cloud approximately 70 feet across with a billowy contour. When he looked more carefully, he observed a solid object silently emerging from this cloud-like formation.
The object had these distinctive characteristics:
Color: Silvery-blue or bluish steel
Material: Appeared to be made of plastic or fiberglass
Shape: Slightly oval on its underside
Special features: Two circular, vent-like structures on the bottom
The most remarkable aspect was the pair of circular structures on the underside that resembled the bottom of a mushroom. These components were rotating in opposite directions, clearly visible to the doctor as they moved. The object appeared to have emerged specifically to observe the doctor and his horse below, hovering silently while the horse continued its panicked response.
The encounter left the doctor badly shaken, and his horse became seriously ill afterward. The chiropractor requested anonymity when later reporting the incident to UFO investigator Bill Allen, who documented this case in the spring 1971 issue of the Canadian UFO Report newsletter.
