On November 5, 1975, forestry worker Travis Walton disappeared for five days after allegedly being struck by a beam of light from a hovering UFO in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests near Heber, Arizona. His logging crew witnessed the event, and his subsequent reappearance and detailed account of alien abduction made it one of the most famous and controversial cases in UFO history.1 The incident sparked intense debate, polygraph examinations, and a best-selling book and film, solidifying its place in popular culture.2
The Disappearance
Walton and his six-man logging crew were driving home after sunset when they encountered a bright, lit object hovering above the ground. According to the crew, Walton, then 22, exited the truck and approached the object. He was then struck by a beam of light, and his colleagues, fearing for their safety, drove away.3 When they returned approximately 15 minutes later, both Walton and the light were gone. The crew reported Walton missing to the Navajo County Sheriff, triggering a widespread search that yielded no trace of him.4
Walton's Account and Controversy
After five days and six hours, Walton reappeared, disoriented, at a phone booth in Heber. He later recounted that he regained consciousness inside a spacecraft, where he encountered bald, humanoid creatures. He claimed to have undergone medical examinations and procedures before losing consciousness again and waking up on a roadside.5 The incident is highly debated, with skeptics pointing to potential motives for a hoax, such as the logging crew's federal contract being behind schedule, and inconsistencies in witness testimonies and polygraph test results.6 Despite the controversy, Walton has consistently maintained his story, and his book, The Walton Experience (later Fire in the Sky), was adapted into a 1993 film, further cementing the case's notoriety.7