Near Uitenhage, Rsa being encounter — October 2, 1978

Four boys hiking in Groendal Reserve near Uitenhage reported an unusual sight shortly before their arranged pickup on October 2, 1978. Peter Simpson, Jannie Bezuidenhout, Hugo Ferreira and Joe Perino, aged twelve to sixteen, were waiting on an overcast morning when they noticed a distant glistening object, initially described as a stone, and two figures nearby. The figures appeared to wear shiny silver firefighter-like suits. A third joined them carrying a small square case. The boys said they moved smoothly across the scrub, as if gliding. At a dividing fence one paused and looked toward them, revealing a grey face below material covering the forehead. All three continued uphill and disappeared at the crest. The episode reportedly lasted about a minute and involved unusual quiet and disorientation. The reserve warden said no firefighters were working there. Police, journalists and trackers subsequently inspected the indicated area and reported an oval depression with peripheral indentations, but no burning. Cynthia Hind’s work is cited as the source of the later account. The case’s purpose was not established. The boys did not identify a spacecraft during this episode: the distant glint cannot responsibly become a detailed saucer or be merged with separate local sightings.