Argentina: UFO in the Ravine - The Omar Gonza Case

INEXPLICATA contributing editor Guillermo Gimenez has kindly been sending us reports from Argentina’s “Gaceta OVNI” which showcase incidents that occurred in the 1990s or earlier but are no less impressive by the amount of time that separates us from them. What shines through these reports is the simplicity and honesty of the inhabitants of rural Argentina, who simply report what they are seeing without further embellishment. This new “old” report should be of great interest to our readers – SC

Argentina: The Omar Gonza Case – A UFO Floats Over The Ravine
From Gaceta OVNI

This young man’s case impressed us greatly, not only due to the characteristics of the sighting but the way in which it marked his life. Given that this was a recent event, he still shows signs of the ordeal during the conversation we held at his home, in the company of his parents and some friends. Omar was willing to retell [his story], but not without showing signs of being affected by his recollections. At one point, he was on the verge of breaking into tears, but he held back. It is important to note that in a society like that of the Valles [region], manful behavior and bravery are still important. Discussing UFOs isn’t easy due to a fear of mockery, and much less to weep when remembering the experience.

It’s evident that this experience marked him greatly. For this reason we prefer to transcribe the interview and abide by his simple descriptions. A second person could not be interviewed: although he was not a direct witness to the event, he would have been able to contribute valuable information, but we must set this aside for another time, as we are separated by a distance of nearly 1600 km.

As a narration, the event is solid and without contradictions. What underlies the story is the difficulty in describing a truly strange thing, and as we always say, we must understand that we're talking about ordinary people facing extraordinary events.

Eyewitness Interview

Omar: It was before the festival. I was still working at the confitería (confectioner’s shop) – a bar owned by Martin Oliver – and I went to sleep at my girlfriend’s house. The time was 01:00 hours. I spoke with her and then we went to bed. But around 02:00 hours a little dog belonging to the household started barking, something it never does. It barked at the door until I got up and took it outside.
Gaceta: Where was the dog?
Omar: I have a room there, but there’s another that still has to be completed – it connects to the street and is covered by a board that acts like a door, covering the entrance to half-height. The dog was there. I left room and tossed him outside – through the open upper section – because the door isn’t finished yet. Then I went back to bed. The dog barked again and scratched the door, I didn’t know why.
Gaceta: He was restless?
Omar: Yes, and I asked my girlfriend what was going on for the dog to act this way. I got out of bed again, went to the door, put him back inside and scolded him. I took him outside, shut the other door (street) and went back to bed. Then the dog started pestering us again for the third time, crying even stronger and scratching the wood. I got up thinking that the dog must want something-- that something’s happening...I got dressed and went outside. Opened the door to see the little dog with [eyes full of tears], as if telling me “come see this, what’s over here”, so I went outside, removed the board (that covers the unfinished opening) and the dog went out ahead of me as if leading me. I followed him, looking at the ground, watching him walk. We reached the ravine, I raised my eyes (suddenly) and there it was...it was impressive, I don’t know...I was speechless and couldn’t move. I was completely frozen.”
Gaceta: Can you describe what you saw?
Omar: Yes, I saw red and green lights.
Gaceta: Several?
Omar: A single thing that had those lights. It couldn’t be clearly seen because it was nighttime, and I stayed like this (paralyzed); it was large, was seven meters in diameter more or less, I don’t know...
Gaceta: Where was the object, specifically?
Omar: It hovered over the ravine. It wasn’t resting there – it was floating, and when I saw it, I wanted to turn around to go tell my girlfriend and...I couldn’t. It was like keeping still. I didn’t move even though I strained to move. I reacted, I wanted to force myself and I could [make myself move] slowly, slowly but straining a lot. Tears filled my eyes...and I wanted to run but I couldn’t. It was something grabbing me (against my will) and holding me there. I could only look...then it let me go, and I nearly fell down, but I supported my hand (against the ground) and ran away to report it, to have everyone come and see what I had seen. Well, they couldn’t believe it. When I went out with my girlfriend it wasn’t there. It vanished completely, I don’t know...”
Gaceta: Did you feel you couldn’t move out of fear, or was something keeping you from moving?
Omar: “Something” kept me from moving, because I strained and it felt as if I was being held...
Gaceta: How did your body feel?
Omar: I felt something like shivers. I felt fear. There was a knot in my throat, I was actually speechless...I couldn’t scream...
Gaceta: Do you remember if it was cold?
Omar: I felt cold, but it was a warm night. It was two days before the festival, Thursday and it was very hot.
Gaceta: When you tried to move, did you feel pain, or just felt rigid?
Omar: I could move if I tried, but something held me down. I wanted to move, but moved slowly...
Gaceta: Were you looking at the object meanwhile?
Omar: When I wanted to turn around, in slow motion, so to speak, I could see it, observe it. It was a thing there, floating, but made no noise. The silence was absolute.
Gaceta: Did it shed light?
Omar: No. It had a powerful reflection, but I could see it. It didn’t cast any light.
Gaceta: Did you notice any change in the light during your paralysis?
Omar: No, everything remained the same. There was no change. That thing (the object) wanted to hold onto me, I don’t know...
Gaceta: Could you make out any shapes?
Omar: I could see lights that could be like this (makes a circle with his hands), half rounded, not very tall, some 7 meters in diameter, but it couldn’t be more than 5 meters
Gaceta: Oval?
Omar: Yes. Some 2 meters off the ground, a meter and a half. I was some 14, 15 meters away.
Gaceta: How long did the sensation of being paralyzed last?
Omar: 20 or 25 seconds. When I saw it I wanted to should but couldn’t. Then I struggled to warn others, so they would see it, but my girlfriend says she didn’t see me.

We should highlight that the window to the home, through which the young woman was peering, faces the exact position from which Omar could see the object. Even so, she claimed not being able to see it, something impossible at a distance no greater than 15 meters, since behind this – some 100 meters away – is a row of houses and streetlights that make it even easier to see a person standing where Omar happened to be. The witness’s position was at an overhang facing a ravine that causes the terrain to plunge some 10 meters. This is the place over which the UFO was stationed. It was possible that its height made it invisible, but the young man never descended into the ravine.

Gaceta: Your girlfriend couldn’t see the object?
Omar: No, because it was in the ravine, which is below and beside the street. She told me that when I went out I was following the dog and I got [to that point]. Later she lost sight of me. She was seated in bed, looking through the window, and I came back shouting for her to come and see. She ran outside in her nightgown.
Gaceta: When you began to feel the paralysis: you were standing still and then felt it, or did it happened as you walked.
Omar: It happened as I raised my eyes. When the dog stopped I saw some lights ahead of me and that’s where I stopped. I barely looked at it.
Gaceta: How did your experience unfold?
Omar: I struggled and ran back to warn her, and then when we returned to the ravine there was nothing – no sign of anything.
Gaceta: And then?
Omar: Well...we returned to the room, and I swear to you that there was something in my mind that...I was scared, I couldn’t stop crying. I spent the night crying. I dreamed that I appeared here, in the town, and that many showed up, 10 or 20. I dreamed that they came down at Cachi’s main square. And yesterday, when Antonio told me that you [the UFO researchers] were coming, I had a dream again last night. Every time I remember or am asked something, I get a headache.
Gaceta: After seeing that, did you get a headache? Did you feel nausea?
Omar: No, only headache.
Gaceta: You weren’t able to overcome it?
Omar: At first I said no, I don’t believe in that stuff. Well, seeing is believing, and I saw it by surprise.
Gaceta: What were the lights doing?
Omar: Turned on and off. The green one went off and the red one turned on. Beacon-type.
Gaceta: How long did the sensation of cold last?
Omar: When I strained it went away, but the fear stayed here, at the nape of my neck. And I felt a knot in my throat.
Gaceta: Did you ever feel anything similar in your life?
Omar: No, never. Never felt it before.
Gaceta: Any further symptoms, pain, physical maladies...could you move properly after what happened?
Omar: No, just the headache.
Gaceta: What did the dog do?
Omar: When I looked up, I lost sight of him. Didn’t see him until the next day. He was fine.
Gaceta: Is it possible that the dog led you there?
Omar: Yes, that’s how it was, as if telling me to go, let’s go see what’s out there. He scratched the door and cried until I went.
Gaceta: Are you fond of the dog?
Omar: No, not much. He’s my girlfriend’s dog. The first time he did something similar was that night.
Gaceta: What made you go out at 2 in the morning?
Omar: My dad told me that dogs can foretell things such as earthquakes. When the dog scratched the door, I remembered it and went out to see what happened. I thought something weird was going on. I think the dog wanted to lead me [there].
Gaceta: What did he do specifically?
Omar: First he looked at me with tearful eyes, and then he went straight for the ravine and went down a little. After I saw [the object] I lost track of [the dog].
Gaceta: Could the lights be clearly seen?
Omar: yes, some turned on and others went off. All around.
Gaceta: Like lighted advertisements?
Omar: Yes, but there were no other colors. Red and green. The were clearly visible although weren’t strong. It’s as though they were lighting something, but could be seen clearly.

The witness believes that what impressed him most was that such an object made no noise at all.

(Translation (c) 2010 S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez and Gaceta OVNI)