70-year-old UFO sighting over Loch Raven remains part of Baltimore lore

Nearly 70 years ago, two men reported seeing an egg-shaped, iridescent object hovering above the double-arched steel frame of a bridge near Loch Raven Reservoir in Baltimore County, according to The Baltimore Banner.

The sighting occurred when the men's car engine stalled, lights went out, and the radio silenced as the object hovered 75 to 100 feet above the bridge. After about 30 seconds, the object shot upward with a flash of light and a blast of heat, then disappeared, the Banner reported.

Following the incident, the men contacted the Ground Observer Corps but were met with disbelief. They then called 911, prompting Baltimore County Police officers from Towson to respond and file an incident report. The men reported that their faces felt like they were burning, fearing radiation exposure.

The event was documented in declassified U.S. Air Force Project Blue Book transcripts, a Cold War-era government investigation into UFOs. The story has become part of Baltimore folklore, reflecting the era's anxieties and fascination with unidentified flying objects.