In January 1978, an unusual incident occurred in the Oldham area of Greater Manchester, England. On January 27, at around 5:45 PM GMT, four young men, aged between 17 and 19, ventured into the Weaver River area to hunt pheasants. Hunting on private land is considered poaching in the UK, and this led the young men to keep their strange experience a secret.
The Mysterious Event by the Weaver River
The Weaver River is one of the region’s primary waterways, flowing into the River Mersey just a mile east. The location where the poachers were is near the river mouth, in a place known as “Devil’s Garden.” The name suggests that strange events may have occurred there before.
While hiding in a thicket, waiting for their prey, one of the men noticed something peculiar. An object was flying toward them from the southeast, near the direction of Barton and Weaverham. At first, they thought it was a falling satellite, especially after news reports about a Soviet satellite crash in Canada. The object appeared to be controlled as it flew smoothly over the water, only 5 or 6 meters above the surface. 
The object was round and silver, with a skirt-like feature on the bottom. Its diameter was around 4.5 meters. It had blinking lights and windows, casting a strange, painful UV glow. Looking at it for long periods hurt their eyes, and the light distorted the interior view. Though it seemed like a satellite at first, the strange lights made them nervous.
The Figure in Silver
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the side of the object. It appeared humanoid, dressed in a silver one-piece suit. The most noticeable feature was a light on its helmet that cast a violet glow over the area, making it difficult to look directly at the figure.
The figure seemed to scan the area, and then noticed some cows standing still in a nearby field. The cows were either frozen in fear or incapacitated, but they remained motionless. The figure returned to the object, which had stopped emitting flames. He soon returned with a companion carrying a large silver cage.
The Alien Cattle Rustling
The two men approached the cows and set up the cage around one of them. They adjusted the cage’s poles and bars, as if preparing to move the cow into it. The young men, now terrified, decided to flee. They ran toward a nearby bridge, which led them across the river, over a mile from the scene.
One of them, a high school graduate, later described feeling as if someone had grabbed him while running. It was an uncomfortable sensation, especially as it seemed to center around his lower body. He broke free, but his legs hurt for days afterward, resembling mild sunburn—strange for January in the UK.
The Mysterious Alien Encounter
The four young men were reluctant to reveal their identities because of their involvement in poaching. Therefore, fabricating a story seemed pointless. The awkwardness of their experiences added to the mystery. The story was first reported in Toronto Sun, a Canadian newspaper, in October. It later appeared in the Runcorn Weekly News.
UFO investigators Jenny Landers and Paul Whitnall found the young men, who remained anonymous. Despite their reluctance, they revealed the full details. Interestingly, January 1978 saw heightened UFO activity in the UK, with other reports of silver-suited figures and strange objects. On January 2, another silver-suited figure was seen across the River Mersey. On January 18, children in Anlabee reported a small UFO landing on their school roof.
The Unanswered Questions
Who was the silver-suited figure? What happened to the cow trapped in the cage? The answers remain a mystery, leaving this case one of many unexplained UFO encounters of the late 20th century.
