The Jessie Roestenberg Incident (1954)

The Jessie Roestenberg incident is a significant yet lesser-known UFO sighting that took place on October 21, 1954, in Ranton, Staffordshire, England. This case stands out in UFO history due to the direct and detailed testimony of Jessie Roestenberg, who claimed to have witnessed a structured craft and its occupants at close range.

Jessie Roestenberg, a 29-year-old housewife, was at home with her two young sons when she heard an unusual noise, which she described as a loud hissing or rushing sound, similar to water being poured onto a fire. Concerned, she went outside and found her children lying on the ground in distress, pointing at something above the house. Looking up, she saw a large, metallic, disc-shaped craft hovering just above her home’s rooftop. The craft had a domed top and a reflective, silver surface, which she likened to a Mexican hat. Through what she described as a transparent canopy or window, she claimed to have seen two humanoid figures inside. These beings had long, golden-blond hair, high foreheads, and wore tight-fitting, pale blue garments resembling jumpsuits. She described their facial expressions as sympathetic and intelligent. The craft remained in place for a short time before departing at an extreme speed, disappearing into the sky after circling the area three times.

Roestenberg was overcome with paralysis and fear, unable to move while witnessing the encounter. After the craft left, she and her children hid under a kitchen table, in shock, until her husband returned home. Jessie maintained that the experience was intensely real and traumatic. She later questioned whether she had hallucinated but ultimately dismissed this possibility, given her children’s certainty about what they had witnessed. When her husband arrived home, he found them still hiding in fear.

Jessie Roestenberg was known as a level-headed individual with no history of fabrications. Her children corroborated the sighting. There were no known military or civilian aircraft matching the description at the time. Unlike many UFO witnesses of the era, she did not seek attention or financial gain from her claims, adding credibility to her testimony. She later reflected that, although she had initially been petrified, she now viewed the encounter as an incredible event that she was fortunate to have experienced.

Some UFO researchers believe Roestenberg’s account aligns with descriptions of Nordic NHI, a category of non-human entities often associated with peaceful contact cases. Roestenberg’s account remains one of the most vivid and detailed humanoid UFO encounter reports. Her experience has been referenced in various UFO documentaries and books, including works by J. Allen Hynek and Timothy Good. Unlike many UFO witnesses of her time, she maintained her story for decades without embellishment or retraction. The Jessie Roestenberg incident stands as a compelling case within UFO history.