Luminous Balls in Saint-Gervais, 1997

Summary

In September 1997, a witness in Saint-Gervais (Gard) observed several luminous balls on different nights. On the 9th at 21:30, they saw a ball rising from a hill, flickering, and disappearing. Two days later, on the 11th, they observed two more with similar behaviors. In all cases, the ball had an apparent diameter of 8 to 10 cm and emitted an orange light. No other witnesses or ground traces were found. The weather conditions were excellent, with a clear and starry night. The gendarmerie investigated and considered the lights possibly related to a fireworks show in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. However, conventional explanations such as children's balloons, tethered balloons, or aircraft did not fully fit. The lights appeared too stable and clear to be explained by ordinary objects.

The GEIPAN re-examined the case and proposed several hypotheses, including the use of Thai lanterns. Although these were uncommon in France in 1997, it was considered that tourists might have brought them to impress. However, the repetition of observations two days later, outside of a festive event, complicated this explanation. The sole witness did not provide clear differences between the three observations, raising doubts about the consistency of the hypotheses. In the end, the GEIPAN classified the case as category C, indicating there is not enough reliable information for a definitive conclusion. Despite the mysterious lights, the case remains unsolved.