In 1971, two lumberjacks were astounded to see a strange UFO landing in a forest clearing, but it wasn’t until a small, green suit covered humanoid descended from the ship that things really got out of hand.
On February 2, 1971, at approximately 8 pm., two Finnish women — Sinikka Kuittinen and one Mrs. Manninen — were driving from Kuusamo towards Oulu — in a region near Kiiminki — when they spied a strange light behind their car on the right side of the road. After a few moments this mysterious light slipped over the vehicle and began to pace the car on the left side of the road.
Kuittinen — who was helming the vehicle — claimed that as the UFO passed overhead her ears began to mysteriously “plug up.”
When the pair arrived at a nearby field the light abruptly disappeared. That is when Kuittinen and Manninen both claimed to have caught a glimpse of the unbelievable.
The women later insisted that they had seen a peculiar, helmeted creature that stood approximately 3-feet tall. They both agreed that thus enigmatic entity was clad in a greenish-brown suit and crossed the road in front of them utilizing a series of small jumps.
This odd being swiftly disappeared on the far side of the road, which, the women confirmed, was a desolate area bereft of building and houses. Kuittinen — whose fear far outweighed her curiosity — hit the gas and sped directly toward the city of Oulu. Neither woman seemed interested in investigating the matter any further.
As fascinating as this incident was, this would not be the last — nor most frightening — encounter that human beings would have with this enigmatic entity.
The incident that made this ostensibly alien being famous occurred on the snowy, overcast afternoon of February 5, 1971. On this day two lumberjacks — 21 year-old Petter Aliranta and 18 year-old Esko Juhani Sneck — had a close encounter that would haunt them for the remainder of their days.
The fantastic event began at approximately 3:00 pm. when the young duo — who had spent the morning cutting down trees in the forests near the village of Kangaskyla in Kinnula, Finland — decided to call it a day because the overcast conditions were making it too dark to continue.
On the snowy, overcast afternoon of February 5, 1971, two Finnish lumberjacks – 21 year-old Petter Aliranta and 18 year-old Esko Juhani Sneck – had a close encounter that would haunt them for the remainder of their days. The fantastic event began at approximately 3:00 pm. when the young duo — who had spent the morning cutting down trees in the forests near the village of Kangaskyla in Kinnula – decided to call it a day because the overcast conditions were making it too dark to continue.
According to their account, Aliranta had just turned off his chainsaw, when he suddenly noticed an odd metallic object hovering at tree-top level. He claimed that it was shaped like “two saucers” on top of each other and was about 15-feet in diameter.
At the bottom of the vehicle there were four thin landing legs with rounded bases, which he estimated to be more than 6-feet long. If the craft made any sound it was no doubt overwhelmed by the continued roaring of Sneck’s chainsaw.
Aliranta continued to watch as a circular portal opened at the base of the slowly descending ship. Within moments the object landed in a small clearing between the trees, less than 50-feet away from the awestruck lumberjack and his still oblivious comrade.
Aliranta stared in amazement as a weird, green garbed entity to slowly descend through the open portal from the bowels of the craft. He later described this unusual entity as being less than 3-feet in height with its entire body covered in a green, one-piece suit. On the front of the head was a faceplate that was described as being akin to that of a scuba diver. Although the creature had arms and legs, the suit gave no indication of hands or fingers.
The apparent structure of this suit seems to be akin to the deep sea suits divers where to protect them from the pressure of the oceans most sever depths. Perhaps this alien was wearing something similar as the pressure of Earth’s surface may be harmful to creatures like itself. While this is pure speculation, there is still the possibility that it is true.
The bizarre “space man” seemed to defy gravity as it floated down the 6-feet to the snow-covered ground below the ship. It was then, much to Aliranta’s alarm, this creature began to approach him.
Much to the lumberjack’s surprise, the being did not sink into the snow, but continued toward him with short, stiff, gliding movements akin to that of an astronaut skipping on the moon. Aliranta described the motion as almost robotic, but perhaps it movements were just inhibited by the suit it was wearing.
At that moment Aliranta, who was understandably terrified, started his chainsaw. Sneck — who was so focused on cutting branches off a felled tree he had not noticed the anomalous aircraft or its occupant — turned at the roar of the chainsaw and saw the shocked expression on his friend’s features as well as the tiny, alien oddity that was galloping toward them.
The lumberjack, with what must be accredited to a jolt of youthful bravery, advanced upon humanoid as Sneck watched dumbfounded. Aliranta and the encroaching alien were less than 30-feet apart when the entity abruptly turned and started back towards the saucer with the same loping gait. This retreat further emboldened Aliranta who now ran in pursuit of the “little green man.”
When he got closer to the UFO, Aliranta claimed to have noticed other vaguely humanoid figures through three “windows” on the topside of the vehicle. When the alien was just 9-feet away from craft, it levitated into the air in an odd fashion, floating towards the opening from which it had come. Just as the humanoid had ascended to about 3-feet, Aliranta lunged and grabbed hold of the heel of the being’s right “boot” with his bare right hand.
It was then that he was overcome with a flash of pain as the material of the creature’s suit burned like a “hot iron.” The wounds caused by the contact with the boot were, according to reports, still clearly visible two months later.
Aliranta instinctively leapt backwards allowing the entity to glide back into its ship untouched. The moment the alien disappeared into the saucer it began to emit a soft buzzing sound.
The craft slowly started to ascend off the ground with what Aliranta described as a “weak gust” of air, but no smoke or other scents were evident. As the saucer rose skyards the circular portal at the bottom closed and within fifteen seconds the UFO had disappeared into the atmosphere.
Following the UFO’s departure, both Aliranta and Sneck claimed that they were unable to talk and had difficulty moving for nearly an hour following the harrowing event. The only evidence that remained of their bizarre encounter was the rounded prints the saucer had left in the snow.
In the years following this event, some have suggested that it was a hoax perpetrated by a local radio DJ who put the lumberjacks up to the ruse, but there are others who insist that this is a genuine alien encounter with a creature from OUT OF THIS WORLD.
© Copyright Rob Morphy 2002 — 2011
