The Reported Encounter
On the evening of October 11, 1973, Charles Hickson, age 42, and Calvin Parker, age 19, were fishing off a pier on the west bank of the Pascagoula River in Mississippi. According to their testimony, at approximately 9 PM, they heard a whirring or whizzing sound and observed two flashing blue lights. They testified to witnessing an oval-shaped object approximately 30 to 40 feet across and 8 to 10 feet high, with a small dome on top.
According to their account, three humanoid figures with pincer-like appendages emerged from the craft. Hickson testified that both men were taken aboard the object. Hickson stated he was subjected to an examination, while Parker, according to Hickson’s account, lost consciousness during this process and remained unaware of details until after their return to the riverbank.
Initial Report and Police Investigation
At approximately 11 PM the same evening, both men arrived at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to report the incident. Sheriff Fred Diamond and Captain Glenn Ryder received their testimony. Subsequent to the initial interview, officers placed Hickson and Parker in a separate room and activated a tape recorder without the men’s knowledge, hoping to capture an admission of hoax during their unguarded conversation.
The secretly recorded audio would later become significant evidence. According to published accounts of the recording, both men continued to discuss their encounter in agitated, distressed tones when they believed they were alone, maintaining consistency with their formal testimony rather than contradicting it. Sheriff Diamond subsequently stated publicly that he believed both men were genuinely terrified, with Parker appearing particularly disturbed by the experience.
Polygraph Examination and Psychological Assessment
Following the initial police report, Hickson underwent a polygraph examination administered by a private polygraph operator. According to available records, Hickson passed this examination. However, subsequent analysis by aviation journalist and UFO skeptic Philip J. Klass raised questions about the polygraph operator’s qualifications, noting that the examiner was recently trained and not yet certified by state licensing authorities.
Klass documented that Parker’s legal representative declined an offer of free polygraph testing from Captain Charles Wimberly, an experienced polygraph operator with the Mobile Police Department, and instead employed an uncertified operator from New Orleans who worked for an associate of the lawyer.
Official Investigation
Within approximately 36 hours of the reported incident, Dr. J. Allen Hynek and Dr. James Harder arrived in Pascagoula to conduct independent investigations. Hynek, a professor of astronomy at Northwestern University and former scientific consultant to the United States Air Force, interviewed both witnesses. Following his investigation, Hynek stated to reporters: “These men have had a very real, frightening experience. They are absolutely honest.”
Dr. James Harder, representing the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO), also conducted interviews and hypnosis sessions with both men. Hypnosis sessions were conducted on October 14, 1973, three days after the reported encounter. According to published accounts, Harder’s hypnosis session with Parker was brief and cut short due to Parker’s continued traumatic distress. Hickson’s hypnosis session reportedly yielded more detailed recollections. Following their investigation, both Hynek and Harder informed the press that the accounts appeared to be based on factual experience.
Keesler Air Force Base was notified of the incident and took an interest in the case, though the nature and extent of any Air Force investigation remain unclear from available public records.
Long-Term Aftermath and Later Testimony
For approximately four decades following the 1973 incident, Calvin Parker largely avoided public attention and media scrutiny. In 2018, Parker published a book titled “Pascagoula: The Closest Encounter, My Story,” presenting his full account of the encounter for the first time in comprehensive written form. According to Parker’s published account, this book included the complete transcript of his hypnotic regression session conducted by Budd Hopkins, a leading researcher in abduction cases.
In subsequent years, Parker authored additional publications documenting the incident. A second work, “Pascagoula: The Story Continues,” presented newly documented accounts from other individuals who testified to having witnessed Hickson and Parker during or immediately after the reported abduction.
According to public records, Calvin Parker passed away on August 24, 2023, following a prolonged illness.
Historical Record and Documentation
The case generated significant documentary evidence, including:
- The secretly recorded audio conversation between Hickson and Parker at the sheriff’s office
- Polygraph examination records
- Official police and sheriff’s department records from Jackson County
- Investigation notes and reports from Dr. J. Allen Hynek
- Investigation materials and hypnosis session records from Dr. James Harder and APRO
- Hypnosis transcripts conducted by multiple investigators over the following decades
In late 2023, historical APRO case files related to the 1973 Pascagoula incident were donated to the National UFO Historical Records Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The donation included five historical audio recordings directly related to the case.
The City of Pascagoula established a historical marker commemorating the incident and hosts an annual observance in October marking the anniversary of the reported encounter.