Plaine / Cafres, Reunion being encounter — July 31, 1968

Luce Fontaine reported a brief encounter while gathering grass for his rabbits at Plaine des Cafres, Réunion, on July 31, 1968, around 9 a.m. He said he was in an acacia clearing when he saw an oval object roughly twenty-five metres away and several metres above the ground. Accounts disagree about his age, but identify him as a male agricultural worker. The object was described as about five metres wide, dark blue at the ends with a translucent central area and unusual projections above and below. Behind the window he reportedly saw two small figures in bulky, segmented suits and helmets, compared with the Michelin mascot. They turned away before a dazzling flash, gust and sensation of heat accompanied the object’s disappearance. The episode was discussed in French UFO publications and entered HUMCAT and Magonia. Its fifteen-second duration limits the observation, and later commentary about the witness should not substitute for physical evidence. The illustration shows Fontaine, the whole craft and both suited occupants; their detailed faces and interior fittings are artistic.