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remained on. Slamming on the brakes, the announcer's 1956 model car skidded to a halt, 20 feet in front of what he described as a rocket ship. Immediately, the motor, lights, and radio of his car stopped functioning, although the scene in front of him remained illuminated. The rocket ship was shaped like a cylinder with a blunt taper on one end, and, althought it was only about ten feet in diameter, Townsend estimated that it was over 30 feet in height. Realizing the consequences of such a find, the announcer's immediate thought was to knock the thing over and retain the ultimate evidence of his sighting. But the car would not turn over when he twisted the key in the ignition. The tall, narrow craft looked to be unstable, sitting on its protruding fins in the middle of the highway. Townsend thought that he might be able to tip the craft by hand. Jumping out of the car, he began an advance for the apparently deserted rocket. But the young announcer was astonished when three incredible looking objects moved out to meet him. These things were in the shape of small cylinders and moved on spindly looking legs, which were no thicker than pencils. Although they had no distinguishing features, Townsend described their movements to be more like creatures than robots. Townsend had no idea how long he and the objects confronted each other, but he said it "seemed like forever." Then he retreated to his car, and the little can-like beings moved back toward their rocket. They disappeared in the brilliant beam of light that glared under the main section of the rocket. Then, as the radio announcer watched out the windshield of his car, the light became even more intense, anda humming sound crescendoed in volume until it hurt Townsend's ear drums. As the rocket lifted off, it reminded the radio announcer of a glowing flashlight, and the scene east of Long Prairie, Minnesota was lit "as bright as day." Once the thing was airborne, the light in the bottom went out. As Townsend watched the vehicle ascend into the sky, the lights and the radio of his car came on. The car which he had been unable to start only minutes before began running by itself. Townsend later said he was sure he had not touched the starter, even though the car had been left in park, and the ignition Unnerved, Townsend turned his car around and sped back to Long Prairie. Without hesitation he went directly to the sheriffs office to report what he had seen. With considerable effort, Sheriff James Bain and police officer Luvern Lubitz were able to calm the excited young man. Both of these men later confirmed that Townsend had obviously been badly frightened. Sheriff Bain described him as "excited, nervous, and shaky," while Lubitz observed that he was "not his natural color."