ROMAGNIEU (38) 20.10.2013

In the Romagnieu case dated 20 October 2013, a witness awakened by rain went into the courtyard and saw a silent dark triangle with a luminous outline. It climbed and merged into the clouds. The description matches no known phenomenon or common misidentification. GEIPAN assigned an investigator to interview the witness on site, but the witness did not follow up on the proposed visit. Because the brief sighting occurred in the middle of the night on waking, a hypnopompic hallucination was considered (see the linked article “Hallucination”). However, the witness said they were fully awake before getting up. A retinal afterimage was another possibility if a light, perhaps fluorescent tubes, had been switched on between the bedroom and courtyard. An investigation could have confirmed or rejected these possibilities or suggested others. Pending further information or corroboration, the case remains C.