Pelham entity encounter — August 6, 1977

Tom Dawson, a sixty-three-year-old car salesman living near Pelham, Georgia, claimed an encounter around 10:30 a.m. on August 6, 1977. He had gone out with his two dogs, visited neighbours and continued toward a fishing pond through a cattle pasture. A domed disc allegedly appeared between the trees and hovered close above the ground. Reported dimensions vary substantially, while portholes and a ramp recur in the accounts. Dawson said he, the dogs and cattle became immobile. Five beings in one version, seven in another, emerged. They were described as hairless, extremely pale, with pointed ears and noses. Some wore shimmering blue-green clothing. His story included an alleged physical examination with unfamiliar devices, followed by the beings conferring, collecting vegetation and returning aboard. He also claimed a voice from inside shouted the name of missing labour leader Jimmy Hoffa, an especially disputed element. After the object departed, Dawson reportedly ran to neighbour Linda Kolbie, who described him as badly shaken. He was said to have received hospital attention and later visits from people presenting themselves as UFO investigators. These reactions and later visits do not independently verify the extraordinary encounter. No formal investigation establishing the crew or craft was located. The source comparison preserves conflicts over dimensions, occupant count and subsequent details. Dawson publicly maintained that the experience happened, while skeptical commentary challenged its plausibility. The plate depicts only a safe, fully clothed opening scene; five figures represent one reported version, and no alleged examination is shown.