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Nearly 30 years ago, dozens report sightings of possible UFOs over Lake Michigan

Wednesday, a House Oversight subcommittee heard testimony on UFOs. In 1994, West Michigan was home to one of the largest unexplained sightings of lights in the sky.

MUSKEGON, Mich. — Wednesday, a House Oversight subcommittee hosted a hearing, as lawmakers push for transparency of "unidentified aerial phenomena," commonly known as UFOs. 

A former intelligence community official, retired Major David Grusch, testified the U.S. is hiding a "multi-decade" program that captures UFOs. The Pentagon has denied those claims. 

Yet, in 1994, many in West Michigan saw something in the sky they could not explain. 

"I was talking to my friend on the telephone," said Cindy Pravda, a Grand Haven resident, "I saw these huge lights in the backyard. There was four of them. I said, 'Edna, I think there's UFOs in my backyard.'"

She said the bright lights were in a straight line, and seemed to be following each other. After moving around for about 30 minutes, they disappeared as fast as they came. 

Pravda was one of many people who saw the lights along Lake Michigan on March 8, 1994. 

Credit: 13 OYS
FILE - 1994: Dozens of calls came into Ottawa County Central Dispatch reporting strange sightings in the sky.

Dozens of calls came into Ottawa County Central Dispatch reporting the sights. According to 13 ON YOUR SIDE reports from 1994, Gary Wilks, a 911 dispatcher, said the calls were coming in from the Holland area. He said a Holland Police officer was sent to the area to check it out. 

According to the 1994 report, Officer Jeffrey Velthouse responded. In his police report, Velthouse said he looked through a man's binoculars and saw the objects for himself. He described them as having red, green and white lights, but could not determine shape. 

Then, the officer asked dispatch to call the National Weather Service in Muskegon. 

"They asked me to take a look at the radar," said Jack Bushong, who was the meteorologist working at the Muskegon office that night. 

Bushong saw something on his analog radar. He spotted something moving about 100 mph over Holland. Then, it moved toward South Haven. 

"That's when it started acting kinda crazy," said Bushong, "It was taking extreme high sharp darts. It stopped and hovered a while, and it'd dart over about 20 miles over Lake Michigan. Then, within a few seconds, I'd have to find it again." 

He described seeing about three or four items on the radar. 

Credit: 13 OYS
FILE - 1994: Bushong saw lights forming a triangle on radar from the National Weather Service in Muskegon.

"Every time the initial one I saw moved, the other two or three would form a triangle," said Bushong. 

He continued to track it for two more hours, as he watched it move down Lake Michigan. He said it was not ground clutter, it appeared to have a signature more like an air craft, but much, much faster. 

"It was definitely solid, definitely metallic, said Bushong, "And they were moving at high rates of speed that was unexplainable." 

Bushong said he does not know how to explain what he saw all these years later. However, he is speaking out about what he saw in hopes of finding some answers. 

For Pravda, she knows what she saw. 

"I have no doubt in my mind that they're extraterrestrials," said Pravda. 

The story of the 1994 sightings were featured on an episode of Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries. 

Credit: 13 OYS
Pravda looks at a memory book of filming the Netflix Unsolved Mysteries episode. Here, she poses with her actor portrayal.

RELATED VIDEO: Michigan congresswoman shares details about object shot down over Lake Huron

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