On October 11, 1973, Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker reported that three creatures emerged from an oval craft on the Pascagoula River, Mississippi, and subjected them to a physical examination; officers who secretly recorded the men after their report found their story remained consistent when they believed they were unobserved.

Jackson County deputies left the pair alone with a hidden tape recorder hoping to catch a contradiction. Sheriff's Captain Glenn Ryder later told press he had initially suspected a prank but came to believe both men were sincere. A polygraph examiner concluded Hickson 'told the truth as to what he believed.' The Washington Post covered the case in 2019 when a historical marker was erected at the site.