Travis Walton is “determined” to try and make something positive out of his traumatic alien abduction. Walton’s 1975 disappearance and claim of alien abduction have been a topic of fascination for believers and skeptics alike for decades, even inspiring the 1993 film Fire in the Sky. Now, the former logger is opening up like never before about his experience in the new discovery+ Shock Docs installment, Alien Abduction: Travis Walton, streaming Friday.
Walton and former special agent and paranormal investigator Ben Hansen spoke to PopCulture.com ahead of the premiere about revisiting and investigating what happened on Nov. 5, 1975. On that day, 22-year-old Walton was driving home after a long day working in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest as part of a seven-person logging crew when suddenly they encountered a UFO.
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His fellow loggers were terrified to see a bolt of blue light flash from the ship when Walton got out of the truck to investigate, knocking him to the ground. Fearing him dead, the crew fled back to town to call in the authorities, but no sign can be found of Walton. Police suspect Walton’s coworkers of concocting the UFO story to cover up his murder, but his reappearance five days later raises even more questions, especially when he begins to share his experience aboard the ship.
“As much as I wish I could walk away from that [experience], I’m not gonna do that,” Walton told PopCulture, noting, “Let’s just say I’m stuck with it. …I’m just determined to try and make something positive about this.” Walton’s story has had plenty of doubters as it made headlines internationally, but he said as many of the misconceptions surrounding his story have been cleared up, the public has become more receptive.
“The public response has become steadily improving, and I think that’s partly due to the original misconceptions being found to not be valid,” said Walton, who said the government’s response to UFO sighting and alien encounters has improved as well. “People aren’t buying the explanations anymore,” he said.
Hansen called it “a real honor” to work with Walton on the new documentary, explaining that between his own sightings and investigation into Walton’s, it’s become “hard for me to dismiss [other] people’s stories out of hand.” See for yourself when Alien Abduction: Travis Walton premieres on discovery+ Friday, Feb. 18, and while you’re there, check out Alien Abduction: Betty and Barney Hill.
