Object Sighted Near River's Inlet 2, BC

This document, an excerpt from an article by William Retoff published in Ideal's UFO Magazine in August 1980, details a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon near Rivers Inlet, British Columbia, on July 10, 1897. The primary witness, W.S. Fitzgerald, reported observing a luminous, pear-shaped object while fishing with a partner in the early morning hours. Initially, the witnesses mistook the light for a fire on a mountain peak, but upon closer inspection, they realized it was hovering at least a mile above the highest peak. The object moved smoothly and independently of the local wind conditions, which were described as misty and squally. The phenomenon remained visible for nearly an hour, eventually disappearing behind clouds while traveling in a south-southeasterly direction. The document includes a note from UFO*BC, which provides historical context regarding the Swedish explorer Saloman Andree. The note explains that while many sightings in 1896 and 1897 were attributed to Andree's planned North Pole balloon expedition, the actual balloon did not launch until July 11, 1897, and crashed shortly thereafter far from Canada, suggesting that the sighting reported by Fitzgerald was not the Andree balloon.