Two Mississippi Fisherman Said They Were Abducted by Aliens — Here's What Happened Next

An alleged alien abduction in Pascagoula, Mississippi has grown into a beloved urban legend – even among skeptics. Pascagoula will soon be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the "Pascagoula Abduction," which took place on Oct. 11, 1973. Here's a breakdown of this essential piece of UFO lore.

On the night of Oct. 11, 1973, 42-year-old Charles Hickson and 19-year-old Calvin Parker say they were fishing off a pier on the Pascagoula River in Mississippi. In the years that followed, they said that they both saw a UFO, starting with a whirring sound followed by two blue lights coming down from the sky. What soon took shape was an oval-shaped UFO descening toward them, and the men said that three alien creatures emerged from the craft to abduct them. They said the creatures had leathery gray skin and crab-like claws, and that they grabbed Hickson and Parker by the forearms and levitated them up to the UFO.

Hickson passed away in 2011, while Parker gave one of his most detailed accounts of the abduction to The Associated Press in 2013. he said that he was "conscious but paralyzed" during the abduction, and that he and Hickson were examined by something that looked like a large floating eye. He said: "They gave a thorough – I mean, a thorough – examination to me just like any doctor would."

The next thing they knew, the two men were back on the pier where they had been fishing, both with full memories of what had taken place. There was no sign of the UFO or the aliens, but Parker and Hickson were both so convinced that the experience was real that they went to the authorities. They went to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and told the police what they had experienced.

One of the officers who interviewed the duo, Glenn Ryder, spoke to the AP as well. He said that he assumed Parker and Hickson were playing some kind of prank, and he left them alone in an interrogation room with a hidden tape recorder, hoping to catch them in a lie. Instead, the tape includes a shaky Hickson telling Parker: "It scared me to death too, son. You can't get over it in a lifetime. Jesus Christ have mercy."

"I don't know what happened to them," Ryder said. "I wasn't there with them, but I know you don't fake fear, and they were fearful. They were fearful."

The Pascagoula Abduction became a national sensation in part because of how open the two men were about their experience – particularly Hickson, who went on to give interviews, lectures and even write a self-published book titled UFO Contact at Pascagoula. As the years went on, skeptics and investigators pointed out inconsistencies in Hickson's often-repeated story, but that didn't dampen his and Parker's minor celebrity within the UFO community. Both continued to attend conventions and make TV appearances until Hickson passed away in 2011 and Parker passed away on Aug. 24, 2023.

Their story and their legacies inspired Pascagoula to hold a celebration on Oct. 20, 2023 – shortly after the 50th anniversary of their alleged abduction. They're calling it "The Closest Encounter" – a street festival to take place on main street in Downtown Pascagoula from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The announcement from the town says: "Alien costumes are welcome and encouraged! We invite you all to join us for this celebration of not only a favorite local story, but to celebrate the life of Calvin Parker."