MEYREUIL (13) 16.02.2023

On 13 February 2023 at 18:46, the sole witness was at work beside a departmental road in Meyreuil (13) when he saw a black, nonluminous object move slowly, apparently floating. Its shape elongated and it rotated. During 3–4 minutes he took two photographs and two videos; the source repeats these duration and recording details. The case title instead gives 16 February 2023. GEIPAN finds satisfactory evidential substance despite one account because imagery establishes the apparent trajectory. It concludes that this was very probably a windborne object, either a bunch of balloons or lightweight debris. Description and motion fit; the witness compared it with something floating weightlessly, and parts of the video show the expected appearance. At twilight it could appear dark because direct sunlight no longer illuminated it, consistent with balloons, or the balloon/debris material itself could be dark. Its apparent path matches low-altitude wind direction exactly, and moderate speed fits wind estimated at about 14 km/h. The investigation could not establish the precise origin or release location. GEIPAN classifies A: very probable windborne object, such as a balloon bunch or lightweight debris.