Unsolved Mysteries: Revisiting West Michigan’s 1994 Alien Encounter

What really happened the evening of March 8, 1994?

Countless residents along the lakeshore and across Michigan describe seeing the same thing; can they all be wrong?

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I think just about all of us '90s kids grew up on Unsolved Mysteries reruns. Just hearing Robert Stack's raspy voice or the opening notes of that theme song sends chills down my spine!

The show spawned a generation of believers and truth-seekers hoping to further understand the unexplained and I'm sure we were all elated when we heard Netflix was rebooting the show as a mini-series.

The latest round of episodes dropped July 31, 2024 on Netflix, but I want to revisit a past season episode that focused on our own back yard here in West Michigan called Something in the Sky. I binged the episode when it first came out 2 years ago but fans are still discovering the story, including curious locals who were unaware of the events:

It's funny this person should mention this episode in particular because I literally re-watched it yesterday with my boyfriend who was also unaware of the event, which made global headlines at the time.

Where Were YOU the Evening of March 8, 1994?

On a cold March evening, 911 dispatchers in the Holland area began to receive calls regarding strange lights in the night sky. The four floating lights seemed to hover above the ground but eye-witnesses say the night was eerily silent, which leads one to believe the objects weren't planes or helicopters.

Authorities reached out to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Muskegon which was able to pick up the anomalies on the radar. Jack Bushong, who was on duty that night at the NWS-Muskegon, spent his shift tracking the objects on the radar until 2:00 a.m. the following morning. Bushong claims he has never seen anything like this and believes the objects were able to travel over 2000+ mph.

I was 5 years old in 1994, so I don't remember any of this commotion or the fallout that ensued, but the Michigan UFO sighting became so infamous it was covered by national news outlets including Larry King Live. I've always heard about the events at Hillsdale College, but I'm surprised no one is still talking about the happening here in West Michigan.

On a personal note, I have family members who summer in the Pentwater, Michigan area just south of Ludington who witnessed hovering lights while standing at the pier at Mears State Parks. This family member's story took place in 1984, but is nearly identical to those events experienced ten years later.

Comments on the anonymous Allegan County Informed post include:

• "I remember this… I actually have the newspaper article saved from the following day on it. It was crazy" - Ryan Henrickson 

• "I was about 14 and I remember seeing it while I was out driving with friends on the highway, we didn't know what we were seeing but it was freaky. I didn't realize until I seen the episode that that was what we had seen." - Lena Buys

• "This whole area, Hopkins as well, is known for sightings." - Jason Trumball

Do you recall the peculiar events of March 8, 1994? If you have any additional information to share with Unsolved Mysteries you can do so here.