VIEUX-BOUCAU-LES-BAINS (40) 15.08.2014

On 15 August 2014 in Vieux-Boucau-les-Bains (40), a woman waiting for fireworks saw 7 bright points moving in a cross-shaped formation. They disappeared into clouds. GEIPAN considers points crossing the sky in formation in under 1 minute on a festive night strongly suggestive of sky lanterns or illuminated balloons drifting in the wind, probably released nearby for the local celebration. Ordinary rubber balloons or Mylar balloons lit only by the town's lights were also possible. The lights moved southwest toward the ocean. Biarritz, 37 km south, recorded a light southerly wind; Biscarrosse, 70 km north, recorded a northwesterly wind. The local wind at Vieux-Boucau is therefore difficult to determine. GEIPAN explains that on summer evenings with weak prevailing winds, coastal sea or thermal breezes can dominate, preventing confirmation that the lights followed the local wind. GEIPAN interprets the single account despite many potential observers as suggesting that much of the crowd did not find the phenomenon unusual. It classifies the case as B: probable sky lanterns or balloons.