José Benedito Bogéa, a farmer living south of Pinheiro, Maranhão, reported setting out around 1 a.m. to catch a bus. The catalogue dates the encounter August 10, 1977, while Bob Pratt’s account and later Brazilian treatments give July 10. Both identify the same named farmer and journey.
Bogéa said that a brilliant greenish-blue light appeared near him. He ran, but the object moved around in front of him and stopped close to the ground. Later accounts describe a beam, a loss of awareness and a period in an unfamiliar place with small figures. His recollection included being shown strange surroundings rather than simply observing a light from a distance.
He next found himself near the port of Itaqui at São Luís, far from where his walk had begun. He travelled into the city and eventually returned to Pinheiro. He reported unusually vivid colour vision for a time, followed by severe pain and numbness affecting his right side and difficulty walking and using his arm.
Pratt later interviewed Bogéa about the experience. The farmer also attributed changes in his eyesight and hearing to it, although he subsequently reported losing those improvements after a road accident. These are his accounts of the aftermath; the surviving narrative does not provide a continuous record of the movement between Pinheiro and São Luís.