Argentina: Followed by a Luminous Object in Esquina

Source: El Litoral (Argentina) and PLANETA UFO
Date: August 20, 2019
An article by Francisco Villagrán for El Litoral

Argentina: Followed by a Luminous Object in Esquina

A number of incredible cases involving UFO manifestations, sightings and landings took place during the 1980-1990 time period. Some left ground marks and even an abduction was reported. Out of all of these, we present the surprising case from our files that involves a car chased by a luminous object outside the town of Esquina.

The city of Esquina in the province of Corrientes is located in the southern end of the province and was the location for many UFO-related cases, such as several sightings on consecutive days in the year 1995 adjacent to high-voltage towers. Some of the objects landed and left ground marks near Laguna del Pescado, there were sightings of strange lights - some of them near the ground - seen by many witnesses.

The case that concerns us today is precisely one of these in which Esquina became involved - unwillingly - in a series of strange unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings, together with Resistencia, Saenz Peña and Posadas, locales for these bizarre manifestations for a period of one week. A couple traveling in their car was followed closely by a strange luminous object: according to the witnesses, on Monday 22 February 1988, at approximately 22:30 in the stretch that goes from the town center and Paso Santa Rosa, Mr. Hernán Frette and his wife Alina Borel were eyewitnesses to what can technically be defined as a "close encounter of the first kind" according to the system implemented by researcher Joseph Allen Hynek.

At that time and traveling in their car, the couple looked on in astonishment as a strange luminous object tried to follow their vehicle. According to the couple, the object followed them round trip, as if providing an escort. They described the light as "very bright, lighting up everything as though it was daytime."

The car's engine did not stall, as is common in such cases, and this was due to the fact, according to witness Frette, that it was a Diesel engine and that the characteristics of its combustion and ignition system make it immune to the electromagnetic fields of these objects.

The quality of the witnesses, in spite of there only being two, precludes further commentary. Mr. Frette was the administrator of Estancia Santa Rosa and she was a schoolteacher, the daughter of a former mayor, and can be catalogued as "qualified witnesses", which is important when it comes to furnishing details about an event. It was just one of many cases that have occurred in the area and which, year after year, confirm the reality of the existence of the UFO phenomenon.

A Similar Case in Bariloche

An event similar to the above, but more frightening, took place more recently in March 1994 at San Carlos de Bariloche, when two young men claimed having been pursued by extraterrestrial creatures shooting powerful beams of light in the middle of a road late at night. Their names were Carlos Arriegada an Antonio Vergara, who supposedly saw lights that "appeared to want to crush us" as they walked toward the locality of Pilcaniyeu after their car broke down, forcing them to leave in on the road and set off on foot.

"It was all very dark," they said, "and a light in front of us started moving. I thought it was a man with a flashlight and shouted: "Hey, why don't you give us a hand?" But he didn't answer and the light became bigger and brighter, like a truck. It seemed intent or crushing us. We looked behind us and we saw two bright lights at our backs, but no so bright. That led us to believe that we were in the presence of extraterrestrial beings, no doubt about it."

Both friends stated that the lights were green and orange, some 15 meters distant from them and hovering some two meters in the air in absolute silence. The light in front of them was a sort of flashing beam and the ones behind them were fixed, spotlight-type ones, they explained. The youngsters stood frozen for an endless 10 minutes, holding hands, "because we were very frightened," as they explained.

The friends' car's breakdown was due to unexpected battery drainage. Prior to this, the gearbox had experienced mechanical trouble and the car would later suffer electrical difficulties. This was all due, perhaps, to the proximity of a strong electromagnetic field, doubtlessly emanating from the strange object nearby. When the car stopped - bereft of power and light - they decided to get down to try and fix the problem. But lacking tools, in the dark and without means, this was impossible. They decided then to walk to town for help, as it wasn't too far away. "We couldn’t do a thing, because they battery had died."

Deciding to resume their walk to town, both friends noticed that the lights - which traced patterns in the air - followed them slowly like a floating balloon. Vergara said that in the light of the paralyzing terror they had experienced, he told his companion: "All we can do is pray to God that we aren't taken, because that's what they seem to want to do." His friend did not reply. He was like a statue, still and mute. Gripped by fear and paralyzed by it, they saw how the lights rose slowly over the road, vanishing quickly into the starry sky. Once the shock was over, they ran toward the town and told their incredible story. The next day, some witnesses claimed having seen those strange lights over the town, flying at high speed, at the same time. Their testimony was important to corroborate the startling experience, and confirm that it was all real.

[Translation (c) 2019 S. Corrales, IHU with thanks to Francisco Villagrán, El Litoral, and Guillermo Giménez, Planeta UFO]