Bourgneuf en Retz 1979 UFO seen over the bay

Summary

On June 8, 1979, several witnesses in the Loire-Atlantique region observed an unusual aerial phenomenon. They first noticed a vertical column of smoke that gradually dispersed. Shortly after, a bright red spherical object crossed the sky in a straight line toward the southwest, following a descending trajectory. Although it moved slowly, it left behind a white or grayish trail. The observation lasted only a few seconds and no sound was heard. The gendarmerie investigated the case and found out that the French Navy had conducted tests with distress and illumination flares. However, the provided coordinates and times were too imprecise to confirm this hypothesis, leaving the case unresolved.