"UFO TAKEOFF SETS MANS SHIRT ON FIRE" (MICHAEL MICHALAK)
Case File: Falcon Lake UFO
Location: Falcon Lake, Manitoba
Date: May 20, 1967
Description: Falcon Lake is located in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in southeastern Manitoba, Canada. The lake is reputedly named for Métis poet/songwriter Pierre Falcon (1793-1876). Falcon Lake is a community in Manitoba with a population of 390.
Sketch of the UFO
Case
History: On May 20, 1967, fifty-one-year-old Stephen Michalak was prospecting in Falcon Lake, Manitoba, when a UFO appeared from the sky. He described it as two cigarette-shaped ones, one of which landed near him. He claims that he saw a grid-like exhaust vent on the side of it, which shot out a large amount of gas that set his clothes on fire. Mysterious burns also appeared on his body. The UFO then went up into the sky and flew away. Stephen went to the hospital complaining of pain and sickness due to the encounter. A few weeks after it, he took RCMP to the location of the landing site and a semicircle from it was still there. To this day, no one has been able to explain what happened to him or what the UFO was, but interestingly, the burns from it are still on him.
Stephen Michalak with mysterious burns
Background: Stephen lived in Winnipeg, Canada, but was in Falcon Lake on vacation with his wife and children.
Investigations: On the day of the incident, Michalak refused to let an RCMP officer inspect his shirt or chest wounds; the RCMP officer described Michalak's condition in the incident report stating Michalak looked he had "taken a black substances (sic), possibly wood ashes, and rubbed it on his chest." The RCMP officer also reported no visible burns to the back of Michalak's head, despite the damage to his hat. [1] The RCMP became further suspicious skeptical when Stephen initially could not locate the landing site. They also learned that he had consumed large amounts of beer on the night before the encounter. However, in July, he was able to locate the site, and the RCMP was able to locate radiation there.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the November 4, 1992 episode.
Results: Unsolved. Stephen died in 1999, but the burns remained on his body. Currently, the Canadian Government identifies the case as "unsolved".
Links: None