ILE-D'YEU (L') (85) 11.09.2012

On 11 September 2012 between midnight and 02:00, 2 people aboard a sailboat approaching Île d'Yeu's harbor saw 3 red lights arranged in a tilted line above the ocean, to the right of the green entrance beacon. They remained stationary and silent for several minutes, then disappeared abruptly. The witnesses resumed their harbor-entry maneuvers. GEIPAN considered sky lanterns because the 3 red balls were low and nearly stationary for 3–4 minutes. Saint-Sauveur weather records show a light southwest wind, which should have produced slight rightward drift. However, the witnesses were also moving, and Port-Joinville on the island's northwest coast is sheltered from southwest winds. Lanterns are most often released after Saturday-night celebrations, whereas this was around 01:00 on a Tuesday, albeit in a tourist area. Simultaneous extinction of all 3 is also very unlikely for lanterns. Given these 3 reservations, GEIPAN classifies the case C for insufficient information and corroboration. The report arrived too late for an air traffic control check.