Atwater, MN Lake Hole
Atwater, MN Lake Hole:
On 1/17/99 a loud bang was heard and a hole in the ice of a local
lake was discovered. The hole was small and had radiating elements
around it. Divers found nothing of significance. Below is a Minnesota
MUFON Field Investigator's theory on what caused the hole.
Atwater Incident Explained?
I was at the attempted recovery operation on Tadd Lake Saturday
1/23/99 when the divers searched for evidence of something breaking
through the ice. Since then a theory came to me as a possible cause.
The reported appearance of the hole being melted instead of broken
gave me the impression of a high energy plasma burst. This might
sound odd but It was almost like it was hit by lightning. I didn't
know if that would be possible so I looked through some books and
they said that lightning does strike in winter occasionally.
I then looked at last Sundays paper for the weather forcast on that
day of the event 1/17/99. The prediction was for a band of heavy wet
snow across the middle section of Minnesota with blustery winds and a
high temp. of 30 degrees. The Saint Paul paper also predicted a few
thunderstorms as far north as Des Moines, Iowa.
A nearby lightning strike (especially within 100 yards) does produce
the effect of a sonic boom as the lady described and is more than
enough to rattle some windows. I don't know what it would do if
lightning hits some ice on a shallow lake but it might be enough to
whack a hole through it. Lighning can do funny things.
One book said that a lighning bolt can produce 3 billion joules of
energy and reach temperatures of 25,000 degrees C. That might explain
the ice being melted or vaporized in the 2 foot by 3 foot hole that
was found. It would be interesting to see if there has been any other
known reports of lightning hitting a frozen lake a what were the
results.
I noticed the aeration system about 100 yards from the unusual hole.
I wonder if bubbles in the water could have built up a static charge
on the ice to help attract lightning to that area. There was a large
tree on the shore close to the hole that might have helped too
although I did not pay attention to see if it was damaged.
I am not saying this is what happened for sure but just that it might
be possible. It would still be quite odd and possibly rare. Maybe
you could run the idea past your weather people and see what they
think.
I wonder if more people would have thought of this explanation were
it not for the distraction of the possible meteor theory and the
impression of something falling from the sky to make that unusual
hole. Its shape could have tricked us.
Casey Holt
Back to Index Page
NOTICE: For all reports, data, etc. submitted: Anonymity will be preserved where requested.
To submit UFO, Abduction, Crop Circle, or Cattle Mutilation reports for inclusion here,
e-mail: [email protected], but please read "" first. Thanks.
This html content (c)Copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, Joel Henry and/or above named authors.
All rights reserved. Any probs send e-mail to: [email protected].