On November 5, 1975, a group of six forestry workers was returning from work in a pickup truck through the Apache–Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona, United States. The vehicle was driven by Mike Rogers, the team supervisor and responsible for the region’s reforestation contract.
During the drive, Rogers slowed down upon noticing a disc-shaped object hovering about five and a half meters above the treetops. The object emitted a bright glow and appeared to be silent. Despite his colleagues’ warnings, Travis Walton, then 22 years old, got out of the vehicle and approached the craft on foot.
According to reports, Travis was suddenly struck by a bluish-white beam of light, which threw him several meters backward. Believing he had been killed, the men panicked and sped away from the scene. Minutes later, calmer, they decided to return, but Travis and the object had disappeared without a trace.
The disappearance sparked a major police mobilization. Mike Rogers and the other workers were initially treated as suspects, and the case gained widespread attention in local and national media.
To dispel any suspicion of foul play, all six men voluntarily underwent polygraph tests, conducted by experienced examiners, including the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s polygraphist. All were deemed truthful in their accounts.
After five days missing, Travis Walton reappeared in the early hours of November 10, confused and debilitated, on a road near the town of Heber, Arizona, just a few kilometers from his home. He stated that he had no conscious memory of what had occurred during the time he was missing.
His memories surfaced later through hypnotic regression sessions, a technique also used in other classic abduction cases, such as that of Betty and Barney Hill. Under hypnosis, Travis reported that after being struck by the light, he regained consciousness lying on a table in an environment he initially believed to be a hospital.
This impression changed when he noticed the presence of three non-human entities, described as beings about 1.5 meters tall, with a fetus-like appearance, “mushroom-colored” white skin, large eyes, and wearing tight, light-brown tunics. In panic, Travis tried to attack them, but the creatures retreated to another compartment, leaving him alone.
Exploring the area, he entered a room with a large reclining chair equipped with buttons and a lever. When he manipulated them, he realized that the craft responded to his commands. Then, a more human-looking being, wearing a helmet, approached and guided him through different areas of the craft, ignoring all attempts at communication made by Travis.
The tour ended in an internal hangar, where Travis reported seeing three other flying discs. There, he encountered three human-like beings, two men and a woman. Shortly afterward, he was again placed on a table, a mask applied to his face, and he lost consciousness.
Travis’s final memory is waking up lying on the ground by the side of a road, watching the flying disc silently depart into the night sky.
The Travis Walton case remains to this day one of the most investigated, debated, and controversial abduction episodes in UFO history, reinforced by multiple witnesses, polygraph examinations, and decades of public and scientific analysis.
New and Historic Images
Now, 50 years later, the Travis Walton case resurfaces. Never-before-seen images related to the famous case have been released.
In a recent interview with FOX 10, the Arizona abductee recounted his remarkable experience with humility and modesty, recalling that frightening episode which he still insists was real.
The new images not only show a very young Travis but also capture the moment when Arizona’s polygraph examiner, Cy Gilson, who administered the tests to Travis and his colleagues, revealed that the six men who accompanied him had passed the lie detector tests.
These images are part of a highly valuable and significant archive for global ufology, documenting a historic moment of an equally historic case.
— Red Panda Koala (@RedPandaKoala) December 23, 2025🚨👽 Newly unearthed footage from the original Travis Walton UFO abduction news coverage 1975
Stunning historical footage, not seen in 50 years, from the original investigation, including the moment the state of Arizona's polygraph examiner revealed that the six men with him all… pic.twitter.com/EMj8bOOjVe
In this recent interview, Travis Walton revisited the moments of that event and also shared his modern perspective on what happened.
When asked about how the reception of his story today differs from 50 years ago, Walton is emphatic:
“I feel… I think the reaction is a lot better.”
He notes that the attitude of mainstream media has changed, pointing out that even the news “doesn’t give that little chuckle at the end anymore.” According to him, this shift reflects a greater openness to the topic, driven by technology and the growing acceptance of the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
“It’s absurd to think that skeptics really believe humans are the only form of life in the universe, and it’s inevitable that there are other forms of life.”
Walton, however, maintains a cautious stance regarding the phenomenon in general. He doesn’t blindly endorse every UFO report, recognizing that “for the most part, people mix things up.” For him, the truth lies in a “solid core of events that are definitely glimpses of life from other worlds.”
One of the most sensitive points of the interview was Walton’s decision to remain in Snowflake, Arizona, the site of the incident, despite local scrutiny and disbelief.
“I thought about keeping quiet and not talking about it anymore, you know, but that wouldn’t work. It stuck to me like glue.”
Walton explains that his choice was between accepting the label of “crazy” or “moving forward and fighting back, standing my ground.” He stands by the veracity of his account, recalling that the event was real and that seven witnesses underwent polygraph examinations.
Regarding skeptics in his town, he says:
“Yes, but they don’t tell me that to my face.”
His motivation to keep speaking is clear:
“I want to be believed because this is my reputation, and it reflects how people have treated me throughout my life.”
When shown a clip from the episode 50 years ago, Walton was asked what he would say to his younger self. His response reveals a profound journey of self-awareness and acceptance.
He would share the insights that helped him understand that the pain and fear he felt at the time were “incidental to some foolish and risky acts of mine,” not the essence of what happened. This perspective allowed him to separate the emotional reaction from the event itself, finding peace and purpose in his story.
The interview closes with a question about government interest after the incident, leaving the mystery of what authorities really wanted to know unresolved.
Fifty years later, Travis Walton’s story remains a powerful testament to the pursuit of truth in a universe full of mysteries.